Influence of Various Lactation Phases on the Physicochemical Properties of Milk in Indigenous Buffalo of Jammu Region

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in the study of lactation physiology in native dairy animals, to  fulfill future food requirements and promote sustainable farming, it is essential to enhance the productivity of native animal breeds by utilizing modern technological advancement insights into the nutritional makeup of milk from indigenous buffaloes that could provide valuable scientific data regarding the quality of their milk in comparison to that from other regions worldwide. The study aims to evaluate the effect of different lactation stages on the physiochemical parameters of milk in local buffaloes of the Jammu region. Milk was collected from 300 healthy, multiparous local buffaloes reared by Gujjars at various sites in the Jammu region. These buffaloes were divided into groups according to their lactation stage: early (60±30 days), mid (120±30 days), and late (180±30 days). Selection criteria included health status, parity and an average lactation length of about 290 days. Early morning milk samples were collected in sterile containers after discarding the first few streams of milk. Teats were soaked in 0.5% iodine or 4% hypochlorite for at least 20 to 30 seconds and the udders received a lukewarm water wash before milking. Fifty milliliters of milk was collected in clean, sterile tubes from each animal and maintained at a temperature between 2ºC-8ºC from the time of sampling until analysis. The samples were then taken to the lab for analysis, where milk protein, fat, lactose and total solids were determined. The protein percentage showed significant (P<0.05) variations at all stages of lactation, with a significantly (P<0.05) higher value (4.103±0.01) recorded in late lactation compared to the other two stages. Milk lactose exhibited significant (P<0.05) differences across early, mid and late lactation stages. The lowest fat percentage (8.01 ±0.06) was observed in milk from early lactation, while the highest mean value (9.57±0.16) was recorded in late lactation. The results of SNF indicated a significant (P 0.05) increasing trend from early to late lactation, demonstrating significant (P<0.05) interactions between all three stages of lactation. The late lactation phase was associated with a marked enhancement in the nutritional profile of the milk, characterized by elevated levels of fat, protein, and SNF, suggesting that this stage is particularly favorable for milk quality.