Protein Composition of the Giant Panda Milk

Protein and lactose concentrations,protein composition were assayed in milk samples from two giant panda individuals.The results were compared with that of Chengdu Ma goat and Chinese Holstein.The average protein concentration in giant panda milk was 41.52 g/L,similar to Chinese Holstein milk.The average lactose content was 15.41 g/L,significantly lower than goat colostrum and bovine milk.The SDS-PAGE profile of skim milk proteins of the giant pandas was different from that of bovine and goat.Casein content in the giant panda milk was lower than that of goat colostrum and bovine milk.Three protein bands with high content were observed in the giant pandas but not in the Chengdu Ma goat or Chinese Holstein.No polymophism of the giant panda milk MUC1 was found in the two milk samples,and only one band with molecular weight of approximately 196 kDa was observed on the SDS-gel.