Donkey Milk: Nutritional Potential, Safety, and Novel Applications
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2026 | Viewed by 18
Special Issue Editors
Interests: the safety and quality of food of animal origin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: the safety and quality of food of animal origin; the safety and quality of feed
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Donkey milk has long been known to have nutritional benefits for humans, but it has only become the subject of growing scientific interest in recent years. Donkey milk is recognized as a valuable nutritional source, particularly for sensitive population groups. It is often considered as an alternative to cow’s milk in infant nutrition and may also play an important role in the diets of convalescents and the elderly. However, the production of dairy products from donkey milk poses specific technological challenges due to its chemical composition. Thus, there are opportunities for research into innovative processing technologies and novel product development. Furthermore, the antimicrobial properties of donkey milk have been well documented, and it is increasingly used in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries. However, there is limited data on the safety of donkey milk and products derived from it. Research on the health and welfare of donkeys used for milk production is also scarce and therefore greatly needed.
This Special Issue invites authors to submit original research articles, review papers, and short communications covering but not limited to the following topics: nutritional quality and composition of donkey milk; safety assessment of donkey milk and products made from donkey milk; technological challenges and innovations in processing donkey milk; antimicrobial efficacy and functional properties of donkey milk; application in human nutrition, functional foods, and pharmaceutical products; and donkey health, welfare, and management in donkey milk production. We look forward to receiving your contributions that will advance knowledge in this rapidly growing field.
Dr. Dragana Ljubojević Pelić
Dr. Milica Živkov Baloš
Dr. Suzana Vidaković Knežević
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- donkey milk
- nutritional quality
- bioactive compounds
- antimicrobial activity
- food safety
- functional foods
- artisanal food products
- dairy products/technology
- donkey welfare
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