Abstract
The milk, collected from a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) which was stranded at the beach of Chitou Bay, Baisha village, Penghu County, Taiwan on 30 December, 2002, was analyzed. The milk consists of 66.5% of water, 14.6% of fat, 17.6% of protein, 0.1% of carbohydrate and 1.2% of ash. Fat content is less than that in the Stejneger's beaked whale and those in other whales, whereas protein content is higher. As to minerals, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc were analyzed. Contents of sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc are higher than those of Stejneger's beaked whale. Among fatty acids composition, oleic acid content was highest and accounted for about 50% of all fatty acids detected. Amino acid composition was similar to that of the minke whale, and glutamic acid and leucine contents were high.
