[Lysozyme activity in the milk of sucking mares during lactation].

The study primarily explores how lysozyme activity in mare milk changes throughout the lactation period and how various factors such as breed, date of conception and foaling, and number of lactations impact this activity.

Research Objective and Methodology

• The primary objective of the study was to uncover the changes in lysozyme activity in mare’s milk throughout the lactation period. The lysozyme is an enzyme that plays an important role in the immune system by breaking down certain harmful bacteria.
• The researchers further sought to understand how factors like the horse’s breed, date of conception and foaling, age, and the number of previous lactations, influenced this lysozyme activity.
• To achieve these research goals, the scientists collected milk samples from 44 mares, comprising trotters, warmbloods, and quarter horses. The mares were from eight different farms, and the samples were collected between the first and the 90th day post-parturition (p. p.)
• The lysozyme activity in the milk samples was then measured using a turbidometric method. This method involves measuring the reduction in light transmission through a bacterial suspension which correlates to the amount of lysozyme activity.

Findings of the Study

• The lysozyme activity in the mares’ milk was found to be highest on the first and third day post-parturition, with an average peak activity at the third day. After the third day, the lysozyme activity began to decrease, with a drastic 25% decrease observed until the ninth day post-parturition. Following the ninth day, the decline in activity was relatively minimal.
• By the 83rd day post-parturition, the observed lysozyme activity in the milk was at its lowest.
• The study found that the mare’s breed and time of conception significantly or highly significantly impacted the lysozyme activity in the milk.

Implications and Conclusion

• From these findings, the study suggests that the inherent lysozyme activity in mare’s milk is highest shortly after parturition and gradually declines with progressing lactation time. Furthermore, the breed of the mare and the conception time noticeably impact the lysozyme activity in the milk over the lactation period.
• This study’s results may have important implications for optimizing the nutritional and health benefits of mare’s milk based on timing and breed selection.