Elephant milk composition is unique, as are its changes over lactation. Presented here is the milk non-dedicated metabolite composition of three African elephants. Their lactation times are overlapping and span day one to thirty months. Metabolites were identified and quantified by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Lactose and short oligosaccharides are a large component of the metabolites, with lacto-N-difucohexaose I as the major oligosaccharide. These were followed by metabolites of lipids, amino acids, and the citric acid cycle. The content of lactose, lacto-N-difucohexaose I, 2'-fucosyllactose, and some unidentified oligosaccharides decrease over lactation, while that of difucosyllactose and other unidentified ones increase. The high content of glutamate, as a glucogenic amino acid, supported the uprated synthesis of saccharides by the milk gland cells. The content of succinate and choline increase over lactation, indicating higher energy expenditure and phospholipid synthesis during later lactation.
Keywords: elephant; lactation; metabolite; milk; oligosaccharide.