Department of Food Science, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
Food Funct. 2019 Jan 22;10(1):163-171. doi: 10.1039/c8fo01598h.
Cow milk has a positive effect on bone health due to the effects of its protein, fat, lipid, vitamin, and mineral components. Sheep milk contains a unique composition of all of these components. However, to the best of our knowledge the benefits of sheep milk in relation to bone development have not been studied. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the consumption of sheep milk in comparison to cow milk on the structural and physical characteristics of growing bone in a rat model. Newly weaned male rats were fed either cow milk, sheep milk or sheep milk diluted to the same total solids content as cow milk for 28 days in addition to a basal chow. At the end of the feeding period animals were euthanized, the femora harvested and stored. The femora were analysed by μ-CT, mechanical bending tests, and ICP-MS. Rats consuming sheep milk in the trial were found to have significantly higher trabecular bone surface density and trabecular bone surface to volume ratio (p < 0.05) when compared to the rats consuming cow milk. No significant differences were observed in the mechanical properties and the mineral composition of the bones (p > 0.05). With the exception of Rb, which was found to be present in higher concentrations in rats consuming sheep milk (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that consumption of sheep milk may positively influence the structural integrity of bone, which may result in an enhancement of bone health.
牛奶对骨骼健康有积极影响，这是由于其蛋白质、脂肪、脂质、维生素和矿物质成分的作用。羊奶含有所有这些成分的独特组合。然而，据我们所知，羊奶对骨骼发育的益处尚未得到研究。本研究旨在确定与牛奶相比，羊奶对生长中骨骼的结构和物理特性的影响，采用大鼠模型进行研究。新生雄性大鼠在基础日粮之外，分别用牛奶、羊奶或羊奶稀释至与牛奶相同的总固体含量喂养 28 天。喂养期结束时，处死动物，采集并保存股骨。采用 μ-CT、机械弯曲试验和 ICP-MS 对股骨进行分析。与食用牛奶的大鼠相比，食用羊奶的大鼠的小梁骨表面密度和小梁骨表面体积比显著更高（p < 0.05）。然而，在骨骼的机械性能和矿物质组成方面没有观察到显著差异（p > 0.05）。除 Rb 外，食用羊奶的大鼠中 Rb 的浓度更高（p < 0.05）。我们的研究结果表明，羊奶的摄入可能会积极影响骨骼的结构完整性，从而可能增强骨骼健康。
