Fatty acid composition of milk phospholipids. III. Camel, ass, and pig milks.

Phospholipids were isolated from camel, ass, and pig milks, and their fatty acid compositions were determined by gasliquid chromatography. The specific distributions of fatty acids in phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) were determined. The results are compared with previous results for bovine, sheep, Indian buffalo, and human milks. The milk phospholipids which were studied can be grouped, on the basis of their fatty acid compositions, into those from ruminant herbivores, nonruminant herbivores, and nonherbivores. The phospholipids of camel milk however have features typical of all groups as well as 15% plasmalogen in the PE fraction.