Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactivities
The growing interest in functional foods has directed scientific attention toward alternative milk sources, particularly camel and donkey milk, which have been traditionally consumed for their purported health benefits across diverse cultures. These milk sources possess unique nutritional profiles a...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/801 |
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| author | Yan Li Qingshan Ma Mengmeng Li Wenqiang Liu Yihong Liu Menghan Wang Changfa Wang Muhammad Zahoor Khan |
| author_facet | Yan Li Qingshan Ma Mengmeng Li Wenqiang Liu Yihong Liu Menghan Wang Changfa Wang Muhammad Zahoor Khan |
| author_sort | Yan Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The growing interest in functional foods has directed scientific attention toward alternative milk sources, particularly camel and donkey milk, which have been traditionally consumed for their purported health benefits across diverse cultures. These milk sources possess unique nutritional profiles and bioactive compositions that differ substantially from conventional bovine milk. This review examines the current scientific understanding of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant bioactivities of camel and donkey milk, exploring their bioactive constituents and therapeutic potential. Camel and donkey milk demonstrate notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may exceed those of conventional milk sources. Key bioactive compounds include lactoferrin, lysozyme, immunoglobulins, bioactive peptides, vitamins C and E, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Mechanistic studies reveal that milk from donkeys and camels suppresses inflammatory pathways through NF-κB inhibition, cytokine modulation (reducing IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α while enhancing IL-10), and antioxidant pathway activation via Nrf2-ARE signaling. Donkey milk exhibits particularly high lysozyme content and demonstrates significant immunomodulatory effects, while camel milk shows remarkable therapeutic potential in diabetes management, nephroprotection, and hepatoprotection. Preclinical studies demonstrate efficacy in treating oxidative stress-related disorders, inflammatory conditions, metabolic dysfunction, and tissue injury models. Altogether, the published data show that camel and donkey milk represent promising functional foods with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities mediated through multiple molecular pathways. Their unique bioactive profiles offer therapeutic potential for various health conditions, warranting further clinical investigation and development as nutraceutical interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9e77949c7f0d43ac8731d989cf0a9c5d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj-art-9e77949c7f0d43ac8731d989cf0a9c5d2025-08-20T03:36:11ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212025-06-0114780110.3390/antiox14070801Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory BioactivitiesYan Li0Qingshan Ma1Mengmeng Li2Wenqiang Liu3Yihong Liu4Menghan Wang5Changfa Wang6Muhammad Zahoor Khan7College of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaThe growing interest in functional foods has directed scientific attention toward alternative milk sources, particularly camel and donkey milk, which have been traditionally consumed for their purported health benefits across diverse cultures. These milk sources possess unique nutritional profiles and bioactive compositions that differ substantially from conventional bovine milk. This review examines the current scientific understanding of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant bioactivities of camel and donkey milk, exploring their bioactive constituents and therapeutic potential. Camel and donkey milk demonstrate notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may exceed those of conventional milk sources. Key bioactive compounds include lactoferrin, lysozyme, immunoglobulins, bioactive peptides, vitamins C and E, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Mechanistic studies reveal that milk from donkeys and camels suppresses inflammatory pathways through NF-κB inhibition, cytokine modulation (reducing IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α while enhancing IL-10), and antioxidant pathway activation via Nrf2-ARE signaling. Donkey milk exhibits particularly high lysozyme content and demonstrates significant immunomodulatory effects, while camel milk shows remarkable therapeutic potential in diabetes management, nephroprotection, and hepatoprotection. Preclinical studies demonstrate efficacy in treating oxidative stress-related disorders, inflammatory conditions, metabolic dysfunction, and tissue injury models. Altogether, the published data show that camel and donkey milk represent promising functional foods with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities mediated through multiple molecular pathways. Their unique bioactive profiles offer therapeutic potential for various health conditions, warranting further clinical investigation and development as nutraceutical interventions.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/801camel milkdonkey milkantioxidant and anti-inflammatory activitiesbioactive compoundsfunctional foodstherapeutic potential |
| spellingShingle | Yan Li Qingshan Ma Mengmeng Li Wenqiang Liu Yihong Liu Menghan Wang Changfa Wang Muhammad Zahoor Khan Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactivities Antioxidants camel milk donkey milk antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities bioactive compounds functional foods therapeutic potential |
| title | Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactivities |
| title_full | Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactivities |
| title_fullStr | Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactivities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactivities |
| title_short | Non-Bovine Milk as Functional Foods with Focus on Their Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Bioactivities |
| title_sort | non bovine milk as functional foods with focus on their antioxidant and anti inflammatory bioactivities |
| topic | camel milk donkey milk antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities bioactive compounds functional foods therapeutic potential |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/801 |
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