Effects of axylitol-casein complex on insulin resistance and gut microbiota composition in high-fat-diet+streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus mice

This study investigated the effects of a xylitol-casein non-covalent complex(XC)on parameters related to type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),in addition to related changes in gut microbiome composition and functions.High-fat-diet(HFD)+streptozotocin(STZ)-induced T2DM mice were treated with xylitol(XY),casein(CN),and XC,after which fecal samples were collected for gut microbiota composition and diversity analyses based on 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and multivariate statistics.XC decreased body weight and improved glucose tolerance,insulin sensitivity,pancreas impairment,blood lipid levels,and liver function in T2DM mice compared to XY-and CN-treated mice.Furthermore,XC modulated theα-diversity,β-diversity and gut microbiota composition.Based on Spearman’s correlation analysis,the relative abundances of Alistipes,Bacteroides,and Faecalibaculum were positively correlated and those of Akkermansia,Lactobacillus,Bifidobacterium,and Turicibacter were negatively correlated with the phenotypes related to the improvement of T2DM.In conclusion,we found that XC alleviated insulin resistance by restoring the gut microbiota of T2DM mice.Our results provide strong evidence for the beneficial effects of XC on T2DM and motivation for further investigation in animal models and,eventually,human trials.

Differentially expressed whey proteins of donkey and bovine colostrum revealed with a label-free proteomics approach

This study aimed to analyze and compare the differentially expressed whey proteins(DEWPs)of donkey and bovine colostrum using high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomics.A total of 620 and 696 whey proteins were characterized in the donkey and bovine colostrum,respectively,including 383 common whey proteins.Among these common proteins,80 were identified as DEWPs,including 21 upregulated and 59 downregulated DEWPs in donkey colostrum compared to bovine colostrum.Gene Ontology analysis revealed that these DEWPs were mainly related to cellular components,such as extracellular exosome,plasma membrane,and mitochondrion;biological processes,such as oxidation-reduction process,cell-cell adhesion,and small guanosine triphosphate(GTP)ase-mediated signal transduction;and molecular functions,such as GTP binding,GTPase activity,and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor(NSF)attachment protein receptor activity.Metabolic pathway analysis suggested that the majority of the DEWPs were associated with soluble NSF factor attachment protein receptor interactions in vesicular transport,fatty acid biosynthesis,and estrogen signaling pathways.Our results provide a vital insight into the differences between donkey and bovine colostrum,along with important information on the significant components as nutritional and functional factors to be included in infant formula based on multiple milk sources.

Characterization of the core microflora and nutrient composition in packaged pasteurized milk products during storage

Pasteurized milk contains complex microbial communities affected by sterilization and storage conditions.This complex microflora may be the possible reason that pasteurized dairy products are highly prone to spoilage.In this study,packaged pasteurized milk products collected from dairy processing factories in China were stored at 0,4,10,15,and 25℃ for 0−15 days and subjected to microbial identification using high-throughput sequencing.Accordingly,6 phyla and 44 genera were identified as the dominant microbiota.Moreover,the changes in nutritional composition of the pasteurized milk,including in 16 free amino acids,7 taste values,and 8 chemical constituents,were analyzed using principal component and multi-factor analyses.The Pearson correlation analysis identified Pseudomonas,Aeromonas,Paenibacillus,and Serratia genera as the core functional microbiota that significantly affects the nutritional composition of pasteurized milk.Hence,the results provide a comprehensive understanding of the safety and shelf-life of stored pasteurized milk.

Donkey whey proteins ameliorate dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by downregulating the S100A8-TRAF6-NF-κB axis-mediated inflammatory response

Donkey milk has a variety of physiological functions, including antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Donkey whey proteins(DWPs), as the main functional component in donkey milk, its inhibitory effect on colitis is still unclear. In this study, the inhibitory effect and potential mechanism of DWPs on dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced colitis were investigated. Firstly, the DWPs and bovine milk whey proteins(BWPs)were characterized using proteomics. Then, we administered DWPs and BWPs to mice with colitis via oral gavage. The results of immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry indicated that DWPs increased T regulatory cell accumulation and increased the abundance of the cluster of differentiation 205+(CD205+)macrophages compared to those with BWPs and in model groups. In addition, DWPs exhibited a more remarkable ability to inhibit pro-inflammatory proteins(S100A8, TRAF6, and NF-κB)expression and inflammatory secretion than BWPs. In addition, DWPs significantly decreased NF-κB and CD86 levels more than BWPs or the negative control in both LPS-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or cell lines. These findings indicate that DWPs comprise a promising anti-colitis functional food, and this work has established a foundation for future research on these compounds.

Assessment of the allergenicity and antigenicity potential of enzymatically hydrolyzed cow milk

Cow milk allergy is a major cause of food hypersensitivity in infants and children.However,to the best of our knowledge,there has been minimal research on the antigenicity of cow milk(CM).As it is currently unknown if enzymatically hydrolyzed cow milk(HM)induces severe immunogenic responses,the potential allergenicity of HM was systematically evaluated in this work.HM effectively attenuated symptoms of weight loss and diarrhea,suppressed levels of mast cell tryptase,and relieved allergic inflammation of the intestine.Moreover,HM reduced the B220+cell count in mouse blood.In addition,in vitro studies demonstrated that gastrointestinal digestion of HM was not resistant to pepsin or trypsin.Thus,HM effectively alleviated allergic reactions and exhibited lower potential allergenicity.These results provide practical information for the future development of hypoallergenic CM products.

Comprehensive characterization of donkey milk serum proteins

Donkey milk(DM)has attracted immense attention owing to its resemblance to human milk.Consequently,its components require rigorous analysis.This study aimed to identify DM serum proteins(DMSPs)using a label-free MS-based proteomics method.Herein,1243 DMSPs were characterized in Dezhou DM,and 788 common DMSPs were identified and subsequently analyzed.Gene ontology analysis indicated the involvement of these proteins in cellular components(extracellular exosomes,extracellular space,and focal adhesion),biological processes(small guanosine triphosphatase(GTPase)-mediated signal transduction,translation,and intracellular protein transport),and molecular functions(calcium ion binding,GTP binding,and poly(A)RNA binding).Additionally,metabolic pathway analysis confirmed that protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum is the most related metabolic pathway,followed by those of ribosomes,phagosomes,endocytosis,complement,and coagulation cascades.This study,aimed at decoding the DM composition,advances our understanding of the potential biological functions of DMSPs.