Abstract :
Milk has long been and will always be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet as it
contains an impressive array of nutrients and, therefore, plays an important role in assisting
individuals to meet their nutrient requirements. Nowadays, that nutrition science moves
beyond the study of essential nutrients, interspecies differences, considered as a symptom
of evolutionary adaptation to different demands of neonates, could be of major biological
importance. Research over the last twenty years has focused on bovine milk. Hence, sheep
and goat milk still remain an appealing area of research. The possibility to develop easy
digestible ovine and/or caprine milk products, for consumer groups with special needs, such
as infants, athletes and the elderly is gathering momentum. Furthermore ovine and caprine
milk products may carry specific health effects, when ingested as part of the daily diet;
they may be convenient vehicles for peptides that reduce the activity of the angiotensinconverting
enzyme, which is involved in vasoconstriction and therefore blood pressure.
The presence of casein phosphopeptides may also enhance the physiological significance of
ovine and caprine dairy products. Components of the non-protein-nitrogen fraction of milk
that may be able to transmit biochemical messages, such as polyamines and nucleotides
have also attracted particular scientific attention. Further exploration of ovine and caprine
milk to understand its wholesomeness and the functions of intact milk is warranted. Additionally
the possibility of using ovine or caprine milk components or colostral fractions for
future product development needs further investigation.
