Effect of Lactation Periods and Mastitis of Mactoferin Level in Sheep, Goat and Cow Milk

The aim of study was effect of postpartum duration and mastitis on lactoferrin level in colostrum and milk of cows, sheep and goats. Milk samples were taken from farm animals in the Al-Alam area, east of Tikrit. 24 animals were used in the experiment, 8 animals each from sheep, cows, and goats, also 24 cases suffering from mastitis were subject in current study. Milk was taken from these animals at different intervals, namely the first day of birth, one week, two weeks, and 3 weeks after birth. The percentage of lactoferrin in the milk was measured using an HPLC test, and the percentage of protein in the colostrum was higher than its percentage in milk, The average percentage of protein in sheep’s milk was higher than that in goat’s milk, while the percentage in cow’s milk was lower. The average concentration of lactoferrin protein on the third week after birth in cow’s milk was 33.5 parts per million, followed by goat milk with a higher concentration of 86 parts per million, then sheep’s milk, which is the highest, with a lactoferrin concentration of 99.2 parts per million. While the average percentage of lactoferrin protein in cow's milk a second week after birth was 36.9, and in goat milk was 97.8, while in sheep's milk the percentage of lactoferrin protein was 124.5. The percentage of lactoferrin present in the milk first weeks after birth was higher, and the results were as follows: 40.5 in cow’s milk, 120.6 in goat’s milk, and 139.8 in sheep’s milk. As for the results of the percentage of lactoferrin in milk first day of birth, it was the highest compared to the rest of the results, and it is as follows : the lowest percentage in cow’s milk is 43.6 , followed by goat’s milk with a percentage of 131.5 , while sheep’s milk is the richest in lactoferrin with a percentage of 144.9. At the end of the study, it can be said that the percentage of lactoferrin protein in milk is affected by the stages of milk production, as its concentration at the beginning differs from its concentration at the end. also so the lactoferrin concentration is high all mastitis cases in compare with healthy cases.