Nutritional Characteristics and Bioactive Components in Mare Milk

마유의 영양적 특성 및 생리활성 성분

Mare milk is gaining importance because of its nutritional characteristics and therapeutic properties, which enable its use as part of the diet of the elderly, convalescents, and newborn infants. This review describes the functional and bioactive components of mare milk, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, and the characteristics such as acidification and released free amino acids of fermented mare milk. The protein profile of mare milk differs from that of bovine milk but is similar to that of human milk. The salt and lactose content in mare's milk is similar to that in human milk, but mare's milk has a significantly lower content of fat. Whey protein concentration is higher and casein content is much lower in mare milk than in bovine milk. These health-promoting properties indicate that mare milk and its derivatives could become valuable foods for elderly consumers in the form of probiotic beverages. Protein allergies related to and the potential industrial applications of mare milk have also been discussed in comparison with those of bovine milk. Although mare milk has diverse advantages if used as a nutritional food and has positive effects on health, further studies are required to enable its use as a complete substitute for human milk or as a health food.