Progress in Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Oligosaccharides in the Milks of Four Mammalian Species

Milk oligosaccharides, a class of bioactive ingredients in milk, have prebiotic, antivirus, anti-inflammation and immunoregulatory effects. Milk oligosaccharides can be added as a new food component to formula foods for special medical purposes or functional foods, which has attracted widespread attention in recent years. Domestic herbivorous mammalian milk is an attractive source of milk oligosaccharides, and a large number of studies have been conducted on the types and contents of oligosaccharides in the colostrum and mature milk of non-human mammals; however, little is known on the difference in the type and abundance of milk oligosaccharides among species. In this review, we summarize and compare the types and contents of oligosaccharides in milks from four domestic herbivorous mammals (goat, cow, pig and camel), which may provide reference for the application of oligosaccharides derived from animal milk.