Camel milk Polar Lipids ameliorate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice by modulating the gut microbiota.

Milk contains abundant polar lipids, which are vital constituents of biological membranes. These polar lipids are present in the human diet as phospholipids (PL) and sphingolipids (SL). Nevertheless, the limited focus has been on the attributes and role of camel milk polar lipids (MPLs). In this study, camel MPLs were isolated, and the composition of their lipidome was determined using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This study characterized a total of 333 polar lipids, which encompassed glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids. Camel milk is rich in polar lipids, mainly phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), sphingomyelin (SM), and phosphatidylcholine (PC). The results indicated that MPLs intervention relieved the clinical symptoms and colon tissue damage in mice with DSS-induced colitis, while also suppressing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, administration of MPLs partially alleviated mouse gut microbiota dysbiosis by increasing the abundance of probiotics (such as Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Muribaculaceae) and decreasing the number of harmful bacteria (such as Bacteroides, Parabacteroides). This study was conducted to investigate the potent protective effects of MPLs in camel milk treatments on a mouse model of colitis and provided new ideas for the application of camel milk.

Camel milk modulates the gut microbiota and has anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse model of colitis.

Camel milk is a nutritionally rich food that shows anti-inflammatory, immune regulation, and gut microbiota maintenance properties. However, the relationship between camel milk and the intestinal microbiota during colitis is unclear. Herein, we evaluated the protective effect of camel milk in mice with colitis induced using dextran sodium sulfate. Our results showed that camel milk can prevent body weight loss and colon shortening, reduce the disease activity index, and attenuate colon tissue damage. Additionally, camel milk could reduce the overexpression of inflammatory factors, inhibit the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells, and promote the expression of claudin-1, occludin, and zonula occludens-1 proteins. Moreover, camel milk effectively regulated intestinal microbiota in mice with colitis by increasing the gut microbiota diversity, increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria (such as g_norank_f_Muribaculaceae, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group), and reducing the number of harmful bacteria (Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella). In addition, camel milk increased the levels of intestinal short-chain fatty acids. The results of the present study demonstrated that via regulating the intestinal microbiota, maintaining intestinal barrier function, and inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines, camel milk can ameliorate dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis.