Protein and nitrogen composition of equine (Equus caballus) milk during early lactation

Separation of whey protein from casein in equine milk was achieved by adjustment of pH to 4.3 without addition of calcium, and by ultracentrifugation at 189,000 g for 1 hr. True protein, whey protein, and casein decreased significantly during the first 28 days of lactation with the magnitude of decrease being greatest for whey protein. The proportion of nitrogen in whey protein:casein decreased from 85:15 to 54:46 during the 28 day time period. The concentration of non-protein nitrogen remained relatively constant at 500 mg nitrogen/l but increased in proportion from 2 to 13% of the total nitrogen during the first 28 days of lactation. These results illustrate the unique nitrogen composition of equine milk, which is intermediate between human and ruminant milk, and how it changes during early lactation.