Compared with cow’s milk, the milks of minor dairy animal species are know to be richer in nutrients and have a variety of bioactivities such as antibacterial, anticancer activity and antifatigue activity. However, consumers have little knowledge about the nutritional value of the milks of minor species and their production volume, market share and consumption are all low. Current studies regarding the milks of minor dairy species primarily concentrate on nutrient composition and single functional activities but often neglect the overall activity of all functional components. Systematic studies on the functional components, physiological effects and mechanisms of action of the milks of minor dairy species are lacking. In this paper, recent progress in studying the functional activities of donkey milk, buffalo milk, camel milk and goat milk is reviewed, and an outlook on future trends is given. This review hopes to provide a scientific basis for future research and development of high-quality, health dairy products from minor dairy species.

Enzymes are characterized by many advantages, including being needed only in micro-amounts, highly efficient, environmentally friendly and nontoxic, energy saving, highly specific, and able to react under mild conditions. Based on the reactions between enzymes and their specific substrates in milk, desirable results can be obtained safely and efficiently to improve the quality of dairy products. Thus, enzymes are widely used in dairy products. This article reviews the mechanisms of action of lactase, transglutaminase, rennet and lactoperoxidase and their applications in dairy processing and preservation, together with the application of enzyme-linked immunoassay to detect in the detection of dairy products. The aim of this review is to provide a theoretical basis for the application of enzymes in the processing, preservation and detection of dairy products.