Health-promoting value of cow, sheep and goat milk and yogurts

The purpose of the presented study was to determine the fatty acid composition, health lipid indices content and selected micro and macronutrients in cow, sheep and goat milk and yogurts produced there of. Fatty acid composition was determined by the GC-FID method using a 100-m capillary column with CP Sil 88 phase. Microelements (iron, zinc, copper and manganese) and macroelements (magnesium and calcium) were analysed using flame atomic absorption spectrometry, whereas sodium and potassium were determined by the emission method. Phosphorus was analysed by the colorimetric method. The conducted study demonstrated that sheep, cow and goat milks and yogurts were characterized by different contents of fatty acids, micro- and macroelements. Sheep milk and yogurts could be regarded as richer sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), (4.41 and 4.35 % of total fatty acids, respectively), n-3 fatty acids (1.05 % of total fatty acids). These samples also had lower n6/n3 ratio (1.93 and 1.92, respectively) and the lowest value index of Thrombogenicity (TI) in comparison to the other analyzed milk and yogurt samples. In turn, goat milk and yogurts were characterized by the highest content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), (18.07 and 18.17 % of total fatty acids, respectively) the lowest content of saturated fatty acids (SFA), (54.62 and 54.93 %, respectively) and the lowest value index of Atherogenicity (AI) (2.79 and 2.84, respectively). Concentrations of all analyzed microand macroelements were significantly (P<0.05) higher in yogurts than in milk samples used for their production. Goat yogurts contained higher concentrations of copper, iron, and potassium compared to sheep and cow yogurts. In turn, sheep yogurts had more zinc, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus than the other analyzed yogurt samples.