Fatty Acid Composition of Monkey Milk Lipids

Abstract

Milk from 6 species of monkeys contained 2.2–8.5% total lipids, and 11.5–16.5% total solids. The fatty acid composition of the milks, as determined by an improved gas liquid chromatographic techniques, was generally similar among the six species. The predominant fatty acids (by wt) were capric (7.5–14.6%), palmitic (19.4–23.3%), oleic (22.4–30.3%), and linoleic (13.6–15.2%). Small amounts of butyric (0.1–1.2%) and caproic (0.5–0.8%) acids were present in all samples. The averaged data were compared with the fatty acid compositions of primate and cow milks. Milks of the nonhuman primates contained less myristic, but more caprylic and capric acids, than did human or cows' milk.