Wang Jianwen, Ren Wanlu, Sun Zhiwen, Liu Shibo, Han Zixiang, Wang Yongfa, Zeng Yaqi, Meng Jun, Yao Xinkui
College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi, China.
Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Equine Breeding and Exercise Physiology, Ürümqi, China.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Mar 12;12:1486406. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1486406. eCollection 2025.
Donkey milk demonstrates closer compositional resemblance to human milk compared to bovine milk, positioning it as an optimal nutritional substitute for infants with cow's milk allergy. Furthermore, its rich profile of bioactive compounds suggests potential immunomodulatory properties. This study systematically investigated the effects of donkey milk supplementation on murine immune function and gut microbiome dynamics, thereby providing mechanistic insights to support its clinical development in functional food applications.
Following daily intragastric administration of 10 mL/kg of body weight of donkey milk (DM) or distilled water (DW) to the mice for 28 consecutive days, liver tissues were harvested for immunological profiling, with concurrent collection of blood samples for plasma metabolomic analysis and fecal specimens for gut microbiome characterization. Subsequently, the modulatory effects of donkey milk supplementation on immune parameters, intestinal microbiota composition, and plasma metabolic profiles were systematically evaluated.
Immunity analysis revealed that intragastric administration of DM raised the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α cytokines in mouse liver. In addition, DM modulated the composition of both the murine gut microbiome and plasma metabolites. One-hundred and forty-five differentially-produced metabolites were identified, most prominently nicotinamide, L-valine, and β-estradiol, that are primarily associated with valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis and degradation, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. Alterations at phylum, genus, and species levels were evident in the fecal microbiota of mice after intragastric administration of DM. In particular, an increased abundance of the bacterium was observed. Correlation analysis of differential metabolites and microbiomes indicated a correspondence between and species and the antioxidant coenzyme Q that has the potential to activate the immune system.
The data collectively suggest that DM may adjust the murine gut microbiome and plasma metabolites thereby potentially improving immunity in mice.
与牛奶相比，驴奶在成分上与母乳更为相似，这使其成为牛奶过敏婴儿的理想营养替代品。此外，其丰富的生物活性化合物表明它具有潜在的免疫调节特性。本研究系统地调查了补充驴奶对小鼠免疫功能和肠道微生物群动态的影响，从而为支持其在功能性食品应用中的临床开发提供了机制性见解。
连续28天每天给小鼠灌胃10 mL/kg体重的驴奶（DM）或蒸馏水（DW）后，采集肝脏组织进行免疫分析，同时采集血样进行血浆代谢组学分析，并采集粪便标本进行肠道微生物群特征分析。随后，系统地评估了补充驴奶对免疫参数、肠道微生物群组成和血浆代谢谱的调节作用。
免疫分析显示，灌胃DM可提高小鼠肝脏中IL-6和TNF-α细胞因子的水平。此外，DM调节了小鼠肠道微生物群和血浆代谢物的组成。鉴定出145种差异产生的代谢物，最显著的是烟酰胺、L-缬氨酸和β-雌二醇，它们主要与缬氨酸、亮氨酸和异亮氨酸的生物合成和降解、烟酸和烟酰胺代谢以及不饱和脂肪酸生物合成有关。灌胃DM后，小鼠粪便微生物群在门、属和种水平上均有明显变化。特别是，观察到某细菌的丰度增加。差异代谢物与微生物群的相关性分析表明，某物种与具有激活免疫系统潜力的抗氧化辅酶Q之间存在对应关系。
这些数据共同表明，DM可能会调节小鼠肠道微生物群和血浆代谢物，从而潜在地提高小鼠的免疫力。
