Table 1.
Comparison of milk amino acid composition of selected mammalian species.
| Species | Total Amino Acids * g/100 mL Whole Milk | BCAA mg/g Total Amino Acids * | Leucine mg/g Total Amino Acids * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | 8.69 ± 0.77 | 176 ± 4 | 92 ± 2 |
| Cat | 7.57 ± 1.27 | 208 ± 3 | 118 ± 1 |
| Sheep | 5.41 ± 0.24 | 196 ± 5 | 90 ± 4 |
| Cow | 3.36 ± 0.48 | 199 ± 3 | 99 ± 1 |
| Horse | 1.58 ± 0.35 | 178 ± 3 | 93 ± 3 |
| Man | 0.85 ± 0.09 | 209 ± 5 | 104 ± 1 |
Data are derived from Davis et al. [51]. *, Values are means ± SD of recovered amino acids excluding tryptophan. Note: For all mammals BCAA (branched-chain amino acid) account for 20% and leucine for 10% of total milk protein, respectively. Thus, the total amount of protein provided by a species’ milk determines the amount of leucine available for mTORC1-dependent translation.