Importance of selected bioactive substances of sheep milk for the development of young organisms

Abstract

Milk is the first food consumed by mammals. Its consumption is extremely important because of the nutritional value of milk and its ingredients which support the immune system of newborn babies. Some of the bioactive molecules pass into milk from the mother’s blood and some are synthesized in the mammary gland. Sheep milk offers exceptional health benefits; it owes its properties to the rich chemical composition. This high health value of sheep’s milk results from the presence of, inter alia, anti-oxidant substances such as CLA. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is one of the most important anti-oxidants of milk fat, and exhibits anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic effects. Hormones and their precursors are also present in milk, such as leptin. In sheep, the level of leptin is related to body fat content, food intake and the photoperiod length. The period of sexual activity of sheep depends on changes in the length of the day. Lactation is an essential part of the sheep’s reproductive cycle. Correct functioning of the endocrine system is essential during lactation. And since proper rearing of offspring depends on the correct course of lactopoiesis, smooth interaction of all the processes is particularly important.