Relationships between Italian Mediterranean Buffalo milk compounds.

The percentages of dry matter (DM), protein, casein, fat, lactose, solids-not-fat and ash of milk and the characteristics of the curd (31 components and/or characteristics) were evaluated on 326 milk samples collected from 60 buffaloes every 50 days. The animals were half sib (same father or same mother ascertained by DNA test) and were bred in two farms. Relationships between the values of components and/or characteristics were also calculated. Significant relationships were found among DM percentage of milk and its components, cheese yield, curd characteristics, ratio between the studied cheese yields and protein percentage. Protein, casein and fat showed positive relationships, whereas lactose presented negative relationships. The association among proteins and real cheese yield or the dry matter of the curd that derived from 1 litre of milk (CDM), was lower than that with calculated cheese yield. This difference strongly decreased if proteins percentage, corrected for urea value, was utilized in cheese yield calculation. No relationship was found between proteins and urea in milk, but a direct relation was present between proteins and proteins adjusted for urea. This relation affects a correct estimation of cheese yield, because the percentage of true proteins in milk, corrected per urea was 4.52 vs. 4.64.