A state-of-art review on camel milk proteins as an emerging source of bioactive peptides with diverse nutraceutical properties

Molecular docking studies on α-amylase inhibitory peptides from milk of different farm animals

Milk-derived peptides have emerged as a popular mean to manage various lifestyle disorders such as diabetes. Fermentation is being explored as one of the faster and efficient way of producing peptides with antidiabetic potential. Therefore, in this study, an attempt was made to comparatively investigate the pancreatic α-amylase (PAA) inhibitory properties of peptides derived from milk of different farm animals through probiotic fermentation. Peptide's identification was carried out using liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and inhibition mechanisms were characterized by molecular docking. Results obtained showed a PAA-IC50 value (the amount of protein equivalent needed to inhibit 50% of enzymes) between 2.39 and 36.1 µg protein equivalent for different fermented samples. Overall, Pediococcus pentosaceus MF000957-derived fermented milk from all animals indicated higher PAA inhibition than other probiotic derived fermented milk (PAA-IC50 values of 6.01, 3.53, 15.6, and 10.8 µg protein equivalent for bovine, camel, goat, and sheep fermented milk). Further, molecular docking analysis indicated that camel milk-derived peptide IMEQQQTEDEQQDK and goat milk-derived peptide DQHQKAMKPWTQPK were the most potent PAA inhibitory peptides. Overall, the study concluded that fermentation derived peptides may prove useful in for managing diabetes via inhibition of carbohydrate digesting enzyme PAA.

Potential antimicrobial activity of camel milk as a traditional functional food against foodborne pathogens in vivo and in vitro

Foodborne pathogens are a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Therefore, strategies focused on functional foods are urgently required to tackle this issue. As a result, camel milk is one of the most important traditional functional foods since it contains a variety of bioactive components, which all have antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. The study aims to investigate the potential antimicrobial activity of raw camel milk against foodborne pathogens in both in vitro agar well diffusion and infected mice, especially Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli, particularly in societies that rely on consuming camel milk in its raw form. A total of eighty C57BL/6 mice were divided into ten groups and gavaged with or without camel milk for two consecutive weeks. A blood plasma analysis and serum insulin levels were measured. Histological investigations of the liver, pancreas, kidney, spleen, lung and testicles were also performed. In both in vivo and in vitro studies when compared to other pathogenic bacteria, E. coli was the most affected by raw camel milk, with a significant clear zone of 2.9 ± 0.13 cm in vitro and in all measured parameters in vivo (p < 0.05). As a result, we advocated for further research to improve camel breeding, raise milk yield and extend its reproductive capability as one of the most important farm animals.

Milk and Its Derivatives as Sources of Components and Microorganisms with Health-Promoting Properties: Probiotics and Bioactive Peptides

Milk is a source of many valuable nutrients, including minerals, vitamins and proteins, with an important role in adult health. Milk and dairy products naturally containing or with added probiotics have healthy functional food properties. Indeed, probiotic microorganisms, which beneficially affect the host by improving the intestinal microbial balance, are recognized to affect the immune response and other important biological functions. In addition to macronutrients and micronutrients, biologically active peptides (BPAs) have been identified within the amino acid sequences of native milk proteins; hydrolytic reactions, such as those catalyzed by digestive enzymes, result in their release. BPAs directly influence numerous biological pathways evoking behavioral, gastrointestinal, hormonal, immunological, neurological, and nutritional responses. The addition of BPAs to food products or application in drug development could improve consumer health and provide therapeutic strategies for the treatment or prevention of diseases. Herein, we review the scientific literature on probiotics, BPAs in milk and dairy products, with special attention to milk from minor species (buffalo, sheep, camel, yak, donkey, etc.); safety assessment will be also taken into consideration. Finally, recent advances in foodomics to unveil the probiotic role in human health and discover novel active peptide sequences will also be provided.

Digestive properties and peptide profiles exhibited significant differences between skim camel milk and bovine milk powder after static in vitro simulated infant gastrointestinal digestion

This study aims to analyze the differences in digestion properties and peptide profiles between the skim camel and bovine milk powder after static in vitro simulated infant gastrointestinal digestion. The hydrolysis degree of camel milk proteins exceeded by 13.18% that of bovine milk. The concentration and release rate of free amino groups in the camel milk digesta was higher than that of bovine milk powder, which was likely due to the higher β-/αs-casein ratio and larger casein micelle size in camel milk. Camel milk powder presented higher β-CN coverage and comparatively shorter bioactive peptides compared to bovine milk powder. The anti-inflammatory peptide KVLPVPQ displayed the highest abundance in camel milk powder. Outcomes of this study showed that camel milk proteins possessed superior digestibility and unique peptides, which outlined the potential nutritional implications of camel milk for infants.

Selenium Decipher: Trapping of Native Selenomethionine-Containing Peptides in Selenium-Enriched Milk and Unveiling the Deterioration after Ultrahigh-Temperature Treatment

Selenopeptide identification relies on databases to interpret the selenopeptide spectra. A common database search strategy is to set selenium as a variable modification instead of sulfur on peptides. However, this approach generally detects only a fraction of selenopeptides. An alternative approach, termed Selenium Decipher, is proposed in the present study. It involves identifying collision-induced dissociation-cleavable selenomethionine-containing peptides by iteratively matching the masses of seleno-amino acids in selenopeptide spectra. This approach uses variable-data-independent acquisition (vDIA) for peptide detection, providing a flexible and customizable window for secondary mass spectral fragmentation. The attention mechanism was used to capture global information on peptides and determine selenomethionine-containing peptide backbones. The core structure of selenium on selenomethionine-containing peptides generates a series of fragment ions, namely, C3H7Se+, C4H10NSe+, C5H7OSe+, C5H8NOSe+, and C7H11N2O2Se+, with known mass gaps during higher-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) fragmentation. De-selenium spectra are generated by removing selenium originating from selenium replacement and then reassigning the precursors to peptides. Selenium-enriched milk is obtained by feeding selenium-rich forage fed to cattle, which leads to the formation of native selenium through biotransformation. A novel antihypertensive selenopeptide Thr-Asp-Asp-Ile-SeMet-Cys-Val-Lys TDDI(Se)MCVK was identified from selenium-enriched milk. The selenopeptide (IC50 = 60.71 μM) is bound to four active residues of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) active pocket (Ala354, Tyr523, His353, and His513) and two active residues of zinc ligand (His387 and Glu411) and exerted a competitive inhibitory effect on the spatial blocking of active sites. The integration of vDIA and the iteratively matched seleno-amino acids was applied for Selenium Decipher, which provides high validity for selenomethionine-containing peptide identification.

Effect of camel milk on lipid profile among patients with diabetes: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials

The effects of camel milk (CM) intake on lipid profile among patients with diabetes remain controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to calculate the effect size of CM intake on blood lipids among patients with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes. We searched nine databases from inception until December 31, 2022, to identify relevant RCTs. Effect sizes for total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were calculated and expressed using mean differences (MD) and confidence intervals (CI). Of 4,054 retrieved articles, 10 RCTs (a total of 347 participants aged 8-70 years, 60.5% male) were eligible for inclusion. The pooled results from a random-effects model showed statistically significant decreases in TC (MD - 21.69, 95% CI: 41.05, - 2.33; p = 0.03; I2=99%), TG (MD - 19.79, 95% CI: -36.16, - 3.42; p=0.02, I2=99%), and LDL (MD -11.92, CI: -20.57, -3.26; p = 0.007, I2=88%), and a significant increase in HDL (MD 10.37, 95% CI, 1.90, 18.84; p=0.02, I2=95%) in patients with diabetes supplemented with CM compared with usual care alone. Subgroup analysis revealed that only long-term interventions (> 6 months) elicited a significant reduction in TC levels and TG levels. Consumption of fresh CM by patients with diabetes resulted in significant reductions in TC, TG, and LDL levels, while showing a significant increase in HDL levels. Patients with T1D elicited a more beneficial effect in lowering TC, LDL, and TG levels and in increasing HDL levels than their corresponding partners with T2D. In conclusion, long-term consumption of CM for patients with diabetes, especially those with T1D, could be a useful adjuvant therapy to improve lipid profile alongside prescribed medications. However, the high heterogeneity in the included studies suggests that more RCTs with larger sample sizes and longer intervention durations are required to improve the robustness of the available evidence.

Regulation of iron metabolism is critical for the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium in pasteurized milk

Salmonella is known to survive in raw/pasteurized milk and cause foodborne outbreaks. Lactoferrin, present in milk from all animal sources, is an iron-binding glycoprotein that limits the availability of iron to pathogenic bacteria. Despite the presence of lactoferrins, Salmonella can grow in milk obtained from different animal sources. However, the mechanism by which Salmonella overcomes iron scarcity induced by lactoferrin in milk is not evaluated yet. Salmonella employs the DNA binding transcriptional regulator Fur (ferric update regulator) to mediate iron uptake during survival in iron deplete conditions. To understand the importance of Fur in Salmonella milk growth, we profiled the growth of Salmonella Typhimurium Δfur (ST4/74Δfur) in both bovine and camel milk. ST4/74Δfur was highly inhibited in milk compared to wild-type ST4/74, confirming the importance of Fur mediated regulation of iron metabolism in Salmonella milk growth. We further studied the biology of ST4/74Δfur to understand the importance of iron metabolism in Salmonella milk survival. Using increasing concentrations of FeCl3, and the antibiotic streptonigrin we show that iron accumulates in the cytoplasm of ST4/74Δfur. We hypothesized that the accumulated iron could activate oxidative stress via Fenton's reaction leading to growth inhibition. However, the inhibition of ST4/74Δfur in milk was not due to Fenton's reaction, but due to the 'iron scarce' conditions of milk and microaerophilic incubation conditions which made the presence of the fur gene indispensable for Salmonella milk growth. Subsequently, survival studies of 14 other transcriptional mutants of ST4/74 in milk confirmed that RpoE-mediated response to extracytoplasmic stress is also important for the survival of Salmonella in milk. Though we have data only for fur and rpoE, many other Salmonella transcriptional factors could play important roles in the growth of Salmonella in milk, a theme for future research on Salmonella milk biology. Nevertheless, our data provide early insights into the biology of milk-associated Salmonella.

Pharmacological bioactivity of Ceratonia siliqua pulp extract: in vitro screening and molecular docking analysis, implication of Keap-1/Nrf2/NF-ĸB pathway

Inflammation is interfaced with various metabolic disorders. Ceratonia siliqua (CS) has a higher pharmaceutical purpose. The research aimed to investigate the biofunction of CS pulp aqueous extract (CS-PAE) with an emphasis on its integrated computational approaches as opposed to different specific receptors contributing to inflammation. The extract was assessed for its chemical and phenolic components via GC-MS, LC-MS, HPLC, and total phenolic and flavonoid content. In vitro, bioactivities and molecular docking were analyzed. Findings indicate that CS-PAE demonstrated higher scavenging activities of nitric oxide, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and anti-lipid peroxidation (IC₅₀ values were 5.29, 3.04, 0.63, 7.35 and 9.6 mg/dl, respectively). The extract revealed potent inhibition of RBCs hemolysis, acetylcholine esterase, monoamine oxidase-B, and α-glucosidase enzymes (IC₅₀ was 13.44, 9.31, 2.45, and 1.5 mg/dl, respectively). The extract exhibited a cytotoxic effect against prostate cancer Pc3, liver cancer HepG2, colon cancer Caco2, and lung cancer A549 cell lines. Moreover, CS-PAE owned higher antiviral activity against virus A and some bacteria. When contrasting data from molecular docking, it was reported that both apigenin-7-glucoside and rutin in CS-PAE have a good affinity toward the Keap-1/Nrf2/ NF-ĸB pathway. In conclusion, CS-PAE showed promise in therapeutic activity in metabolic conditions.

Shifting archetype to nature's hidden gems: from sources, purification to uncover the nutritional potential of bioactive peptides

Contemporary scientific findings revealed that our daily food stuffs are enriched by encrypted bioactive peptides (BPs), evolved by peptide linkage of amino acids or encrypted from the native protein structures. Remarkable to these BPs lies in their potential health benefiting biological activities to serve as nutraceuticals or a lead addition to the development of functional foods. The biological activities of BPs vary depending on the sequence as well as amino acid composition. Existing database records approximately 3000 peptide sequences which possess potential biological activities such as antioxidants, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, anti-adipogenics, anti-microbials, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancerous. The growing evidences suggest that BPs have very low toxicity, higher accuracy, less tissue accretion, and are easily degraded in the disposed environment. BPs are nowadays evolved as biologically active molecules with potential scope to reduce microbial contamination as well as ward off oxidation of foods, amend diverse range of human diseases to enhance the overall quality of human life. Against the clinical and health perspectives of BPs, this review aimed to elaborate current evolution of nutritional potential of BPs, studies pertaining to overcome limitations with respect to special focus on emerging extraction, protection and delivery tools of BPs. In addition, the nano-delivery mechanism of BP and its clinical significance is detailed. The aim of current review is to augment the research in the field of BPs production, identification, characterisation and to speed up the investigation of the incredible potentials of BPs as potential nutritional and functional food ingredient.

Comparative Study of Camel Milk from Different Areas of Xinjiang Province in China

Xinjiang province is the main camel feeding area in China with a large square, and camel milk from different areas have different qualities. By now, there are few reports about the quality of camel milk from different areas of Xinjiang province in China. In this study, seven batches of camel milk and one batch of cow milk were collected, and the contents of fat, protein, lactose, total solid, and nonfat milk solid of these milk samples were determined, as well as the contents of lysozyme and vitamin C. All samples were scored and compared by principal component analysis score and comprehensive weighted multi-index score. As the results, camel milk from different areas showed different contents of fat (4.62%-7.02%), protein (3.34%-3.95%), lactose (3.85%-4.79%), total solid (13.59%-17.00%), nonfat milk solid (8.55%-9.73%), vitamin C (12.10-41.25 μg/mL), and lysozyme (8.70-22.80 μg/mL), as well as different qualities. This variation would help people to know more about quanlity of camel milk in Xinjiang province. Camel milk from Jeminay showed the best quality, and then followed by camel milk from Fukang, Changji, and Fuhai, while cow milk showed the lowest score. Therefore, Jeminay is the most suitable place for grazing camels. Our findings show the different qualities of camel milk in different distribution areas of Xinjiang province, and provide an insight for the evaluation of camel milk. In the present study, only seven components in camel milk were determined, many other factors, such as cfu, mineral, and other vitamins, have not been considered.

Prevalence of Aflatoxins in Camel Milk from the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa: A Reduction Approach Using Probiotic Strains

Camel milk is known as a source of nutritional and health supplements. It is known to be rich in peptides and functional proteins. One main issue facing it is related to its contamination, mainly with aflatoxins. The present study aimed to evaluate camel milk samples from different regions while trying to reduce its toxicity using safe approaches based on probiotic bacteria. Collected samples of camel milk were sourced from two main regions: the Arabic peninsula and North Africa. Samples were tested for their contents of aflatoxins (B₁ and M₁) using two techniques to ensure desired contamination levels. Additionally, feed materials used in camel foods were evaluated. Applied techniques were also tested for their validation. The antioxidant activity of camel milk samples was determined through total phenolic content and antioxidant activity assays. Two strains of probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus NRC06 and Lactobacillus plantarum NRC21) were investigated for their activity against toxigenic fungi. The result revealed high contamination of aflatoxin M₁ for all samples investigated. Furthermore, cross-contamination with aflatoxin B₁ was recorded. Investigated bacteria were recorded according to their significant inhibition zones against fungal growth (11 to 40 mm). The antagonistic impacts were between 40% and 70% against toxigenic fungi. Anti-aflatoxigenic properties of bacterial strains in liquid media were recorded according to mycelia inhibition levels between 41 to 52.83% against Aspergillus parasiticus ITEM11 with an ability to reduce aflatoxin production between 84.39% ± 2.59 and 90.4% ± 1.32 from media. Bacteria removed aflatoxins from the spiked camel milk in cases involving individual toxin contamination.

In vitro antidiabetic and antihypercholesterolemic activities of camel milk protein hydrolysates derived upon simulated gastrointestinal digestion of milk from different camel breeds

Milk protein hydrolysates derived from 4 camel breeds (Pakistani, Saheli, Hozami, and Omani) were evaluated for in vitro inhibition of antidiabetic enzymatic markers (dipeptidyl peptidase IV and α-amylase) and antihypercholesterolemic enzymatic markers (pancreatic lipase and cholesterol esterase). Milk samples were subjected to in vitro simulated gastric (SGD) and gastrointestinal digestion (SGID) conditions. In comparison with intact milk proteins, the SGD-derived milk protein hydrolysates showed enhanced inhibition of α-amylase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, pancreatic lipase, and cholesterol esterase as reflected by lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration values. Overall, milk protein hydrolysates derived from the milk of Hozami and Omani camel breeds displayed higher inhibition of different enzymatic markers compared with milk protein hydrolysates from Pakistani and Saheli breeds. In vitro SGD and SGID processes significantly increased the bioactive properties of milk from all camel breeds. Milk protein hydrolysates from different camel breeds showed significant variations for inhibition of antidiabetic and antihypercholesterolemic enzymatic markers, suggesting the importance of breed selection for production of bioactive peptides. However, further studies on identifying the peptides generated upon SGD and SGID of milk from different camel breeds are needed.

Bioactive Antimicrobial Peptides from Food Proteins: Perspectives and Challenges for Controlling Foodborne Pathogens

Bioactive peptides (BAPs) derived from food proteins have been extensively studied for their health benefits, majorly exploring their potential use as nutraceuticals and functional food components. These peptides possess a range of beneficial properties, including antihypertensive, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and antibacterial activities, and are naturally present within dietary protein sequences. To release food-grade antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), enzymatic protein hydrolysis or microbial fermentation, such as with lactic acid bacteria (LAB), can be employed. The activity of AMPs is influenced by various structural characteristics, including the amino acid composition, three-dimensional conformation, liquid charge, putative domains, and resulting hydrophobicity. This review discusses the synthesis of BAPs and AMPs, their potential for controlling foodborne pathogens, their mechanisms of action, and the challenges and prospects faced by the food industry. BAPs can regulate gut microbiota by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria or by directly inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms. LAB-promoted hydrolysis of dietary proteins occurs naturally in both the matrix and the gastrointestinal tract. However, several obstacles must be overcome before BAPs can replace antimicrobials in food production. These include the high manufacturing costs of current technologies, limited in vivo and matrix data, and the difficulties associated with standardization and commercial-scale production.

Brown goat yogurt: Metabolomics, peptidomics, and sensory changes during production

Brown goat milk products have gained popularity for their unique taste and flavor. The emergence of chain-reversal phenomenon makes the design and development of goat milk products gradually tend to a consumer-oriented model. However, the precise mechanism of how browning and fermentation process causes characteristics is not clear. In an effort to understand how the treatments potentially lead to certain metabolite profile changes in goat milk, comprehensive, quantitative metabolomics and peptidomics analysis of goat milk samples after browning and fermentation were undertaken. An intelligent hybrid z-score standardization-principal components algorithm-multimodal denoizing autoencoder was used for feature fusion and hidden layer fusion in high-dimensional variable space. The fermentation process significantly improved the flavor of brown goat yogurt through the tricarboxylic acid-urea-glycolysis composite pathway. Bitter peptides HPFLEWAR, PPGLPDKY, and PPPPPKK have strong interactions with both putative dipeptidyl peptidase IV and angiotensin-converting enzyme, proving that brown goat yogurt can be considered as effective provider of potential putative dipeptidyl peptidase IV and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The level of health-promoting bioactive components and sensory contributed to consumer selection. The proposed multimodal data integrative analysis platform was applicable to explain the effect of the dynamic changes of metabolites and peptides on consumer preferences.

Antioxidant peptides: Overview of production, properties, and applications in food systems

In recent years, several studies have reported the beneficial effects of antioxidant peptides in delaying oxidation reactions. Thus, a growing number of food proteins have been investigated as suitable sources for obtaining these antioxidant peptides. In this study, some of the most critical developments in the discovery of peptidic antioxidants are discussed. Initially, the primary methods to release, purify, and identify these antioxidant peptides from various food-derived sources are reviewed. Then, computer-based screening methods of the available peptides are summarized, and methods to interpret their structure-activity relationship are illustrated. Finally, approaches to the large-scale production of these bioactive peptides are described. In addition, the applications of these antioxidants in food systems are discussed, and gaps, future challenges, and opportunities in this field are highlighted. In conclusion, various food items can be considered promising sources to obtain these novel antioxidant peptides, which present various opportunities for food applications in addition to health promotion. The lack of in-depth data on the link between the structure and activity of these antioxidants, which is critical for the prediction of possible bioactive amino acid sequences and their potency in food systems and in vivo conditions (rather than in vitro systems), requires further attention. Consequently, future collaborative research activities between the industry and academia are required to realize the commercialization objectives of these novel antioxidant peptides.

Effect of Intermittent Fasting, Probiotic-Fermented Camel Milk, and Probiotic-Fermented Camel Milk Incorporating Sukkari Date on Diet-Induced Obesity in Rats

Obesity causes metabolic syndrome disorders that are detrimental to health. The current study examined the effects of intermittent fasting (IF), fermented camel milk (FCM), and fermented camel milk incorporating 10% Sukkari date (FCM-D) on weight loss, blood profile, and antioxidant status in obese rats for 6 weeks. Subsequently, leptin and adiponectin levels and histopathological examination of adipose tissue were carried out. Results showed that IF with FCM or FCM-D decreased body weight by 0.92 and −5.45%, respectively. IF alone lowered non-fasting blood glucose (NFBG) and fasting blood glucose FBG after 6 weeks, whereas adding FCM or FCM-D reduced NFBG after 4 weeks. Intermittently fasting obese rats given FCM or FCM-D had the lowest blood glucose levels (BGL). The hypolipidemic effects of IF, FCM, and FCM-D on obese rats reduced triglycerides (TG), cholesterols (CHO), and their derivatives. FCM-D with IF presented a superior effect on lipid profile. A reduction rate of 40, 37, 66, and 40% for TG, CHO, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-c), respectively, and an increase in HDL-C by 34% were noticed. Reductions of 40, 37, 66, and 40% for TG, CHO, LDL-c, and VLDL-c, respectively, and a 34% rise in high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) were noted. Combining IF with FCM or FCM-D lowered the atherogenic index (AI) by 42% and 59%, respectively. Remarkably, treating rats with FCM+IF or FCM-D+IF effectively attenuated leptin and adiponectin levels. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly decreased in a type-dependent manner. Implementing FCM-D or FCM with IF significantly attenuated reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), MDA, and catalase (CAT) levels. The most efficient treatment was giving FCM-D with IF. Histopathologically, adipocyte lipolysis increases free fatty acids (FFAs) and promotes inflammation. Only IF+FCM-D indicated no histopathological alteration except for a few focal areas of a few inflammatory cell infiltrations in the parenchyma. In conclusion, combining IF and Probiotic-FCM or Probiotic-FCM-D effectively accelerated weight loss, attenuated metabolic markers, and reversed histopathological alterations. Thus, IF combined with Probiotic-FCM or Probiotic-FCM-D is highly recommended for weight loss, strengthening antioxidative status, and preventing health disorders.

Truths and myths about superfoods in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic

Nowadays, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increasingly seek foods that not only fulfill the basic need (i.e., satisfying hunger) but also enhance human health and well-being. As a result, more attention has been given to some kinds of foods, termed "superfoods," making big claims about their richness in valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds as well as their capability to prevent illness, reinforcing the human immune system, and improve overall health.This review is an attempt to uncover truths and myths about superfoods by giving examples of the most popular foods (e.g., berries, pomegranates, watermelon, olive, green tea, several seeds and nuts, honey, salmon, and camel milk, among many others) that are commonly reported as having unique nutritional, nutraceutical, and functional characteristics.While superfoods have become a popular buzzword in blog articles and social media posts, scientific publications are still relatively marginal. The reviewed findings show that COVID-19 has become a significant driver for superfoods consumption. Food Industry 4.0 innovations have revolutionized many sectors of food technologies, including the manufacturing of functional foods, offering new opportunities to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of such foods. Although many food products have been considered superfoods and intensively sought by consumers, scientific evidence for their beneficial effectiveness and their "superpower" are yet to be provided. Therefore, more research and collaboration between researchers, industry, consumers, and policymakers are still needed to differentiate facts from marketing gimmicks and promote human health and nutrition.

Prospective Role of Bioactive Molecules and Exosomes in the Therapeutic Potential of Camel Milk against Human Diseases: An Updated Perspective

Camel milk (CM) constitutes an important dietary source in the hot and arid regions of the world. CM is a colloidal mixture of nutritional components (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals) and non-nutritional components (hormones, growth factors, cytokines, immunoglobulins, and exosomes). Although the majority of previous research has been focused on the nutritional components of CM; there has been immense interest in the non-nutritional components in the recent past. Reckoning with these, in this review, we have provided a glimpse of the recent trends in CM research endeavors and attempted to provide our perspective on the therapeutic efficacy of the nutritional and non-nutritional components of CM. Interestingly, with concerted efforts from the research fraternities, convincing evidence for the better understanding of the claimed traditional health benefits of CM can be foreseen with great enthusiasm and is indeed eagerly anticipated.

Non-Bovine Milk: Sources and Future Prospects

Milk is the first food that mammals are exposed to [...]

Effect of Camel Milk on Glucose Homeostasis in Patients with Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

The effects of camel milk (CM) intake on glycemic control in patients with diabetes are controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to summarize the effect of CM intake on glucose homeostasis parameters in patients with both types of diabetes mellitus; T1DM and T2DM. We searched Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE, EBSCO host, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, ProQuest Medical, Web of Science, and Scopus databases from inception until the end of November 2021. Relevant RCTs were identified, and the effect size was reported as mean difference (MD) and standard deviation (SD). Parameters of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), fasting serum insulin (FI), insulin resistance (expressed in terms of HOMA-IR), insulin dose (ID) received, serum insulin antibody (IA), and C-peptide (CP) were tested. Out of 4054 collected articles, 14 RCTs (total 663 subjects) were eligible for inclusion. The pooled results obtained using a random-effects model showed a statistically significant decrease in HbA1c levels (MD, −1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): −2.00, −0.48, p < 0.001 heterogeneity (I2) = 94%) and ID received (MD, −16.72, 95% CI: −22.09, −11.35 p < 0.00001, I2 = 90%), with a clear tendency was shown, but non-significant, to decrease FBG (MD, −23.32, 95% CI: −47.33, 0.70, p = 0.06, I2 = 98%) in patients with diabetes who consumed CM in comparison to those on usual care. Conversely, the consumption of CM did not show significant reductions in the rest of the glucose homeostasis parameters. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with T2DM were more beneficially affected by CM intake than those with T1DM in lowering FBG, while patients with T1DM were more beneficially affected by CM intake than those with T2DM in lowering HbA1c. Both fresh and treated (pasteurized/fermented) CM gave similar beneficial effects in lowering HbA1c. Lastly, a relatively superior effect for longer duration on shorter duration (>6 months, ≤6 months, respectively) of CM intake is found in lowering HbA1c. To conclude, long-term consumption of CM by patients with diabetes could be a useful adjuvant therapy alongside classical medications, especially in lowering the required insulin dose and HbA1c. Due to the high heterogeneity observed in the included studies, more controlled trials with a larger sample size are warranted to confirm our results and to control some confounders and interfering factors existing in the analyzed articles.

Camel Milk Targeting Insulin Receptor—Toward Understanding the Antidiabetic Effects of Camel Milk

Camel milk (CM) is known for its beneficial virtues in the human diet and health. This includes its antidiabetic properties demonstrated in many in vitro and in vivo studies. Nevertheless, the scientific rationale behind the molecular and cellular basis of such beneficial effects and the exact antidiabetic agent(s)/mechanism(s) are still elusive. In this review, we focused on the recent advances supporting the targeting of insulin receptor (IR) by CM components. Indeed, our recent work reported that CM proteins and derived peptides pharmacologically target IR in vitro leading to its activation and potentiation of insulin-mediated responses. The review describes the experimental approaches used to investigate the effects of CM on IR in vitro based on the fractionation of CM whey proteins to purify functional proteins and their hydrolysis by gastric proteases to generate bioactive peptides. In addition, we illustrated our cellular and molecular model consisting of studying the functional activity of CM fractions on IR and its downstream signaling pathways in the hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) and the human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells using the bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), phosphorylation, and glucose uptake assays. Overall, our work demonstrated for the first time that CM lactoferrin and CM-derived bioactive peptides positively modulate IR and its related signaling pathways in HepG2 and HEK293 cells. As a conclusion, the pharmacological targeting of IR by CM sheds more light on the antidiabetic properties of CM by providing its molecular basis that may constitute a solid rationale for the development of new generation of antidiabetic tools from CM-derived proteins and peptides and the utilization of CM in the management of diabetes. The sequencing and the synthesis of the potent bioactive CM peptides may open promising perspectives for their application as antidiabetic agents.