Comparative Study of Mineral Composition in Bovine Milk

Abstract

Background: Milk is an important dietary source of essential minerals that contribute to normal physiological functions and overall nutritional quality. The mineral composition of bovine milk can vary according to species and local production conditions. However, comparative information on the concentrations of major and trace minerals in locally produced cow and buffalo milk from Dhusera village, Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, remains limited. Aim: This study aimed to establish baseline data on the mineral composition, specifically sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese, of locally produced bovine milk in Dhusera village, Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, and to identify key nutritional differences between cow and buffalo milk. Study Design: This investigation used a comparative cross-sectional quantitative study design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Dhusera village, Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, over a period of four months. Methodology: Fresh milk samples were collected hygienically under similar farming conditions from six healthy  cows and six healthy buffaloes. The samples were transported to the laboratory under refrigerated conditions and digested using a wet acid digestion method with concentrated nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Sodium and potassium levels were analysed using flame photometry, while magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese concentrations were measured using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, following standard analytical quality-control procedures. Results: Within the reported dataset, cow milk showed higher mean values of sodium, potassium, and zinc, whereas buffalo milk showed higher mean values of magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese. Recalculation of the tabulated data confirmed all reported means except buffalo-milk magnesium, for which the arithmetic mean is 8.44 mg/L rather than 8.47 mg/L. The absolute sodium, potassium, and magnesium values are markedly lower than published reference values and therefore require verification of dilution factors, instrument-output units, and conversion to mg/L before final interpretation. Conclusion: The reported cow and buffalo milk datasets showed different relative mineral patterns. However, because several absolute mineral concentrations differ substantially from published reference data and the original calibration and dilution records are not available in the manuscript, the absolute values should be regarded as provisional until the analytical calculations are verified. Larger, controlled, and seasonally replicated studies are also required before species-level nutritional conclusions are drawn.