Comparative fat digestibility of goat, camel, cow and buffalo milk

The differences in the milk fat digestion from milk of different species using an in vitro digestion model were investigated. Milk samples were collected from healthy lactating goats, camels, cows and buffalos. The in vitro digestion of milk fat was carried out at pH 7.5 to mimic pancreatic lipase activity in the small intestine leading to fatty acid release from fat globules. It was found that the amount of free fatty acids released per unit volume of the milk sample decreased in the following order: goat camel > cow > buffalo. The differences in the structure of fat globules during the digestion were characterised using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The information generated provided important insights into the factors that influence the activity of lipases during lipid digestion and improve understanding of in vivo fat digestion by pancreatic lipase.