Project description:This study aimed to characterize the whey proteome of colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk from Murciano-Granadina goats, and to evaluate the use of transitional milk as a substitute for colostrum in feeding neonatal kids. Proteomic analysis identified a total of 1,385 proteins, with 736 in colostrum, 668 in transitional milk, and 625 in mature milk. Colostrum and transitional milk displayed a high degree of similarity between colostrum and transitional milk, particularly in proteins related to immune response and inflammation. In contrast, mature milk showed a shift toward proteins involved in metabolic and transport functions. To evaluate the practical application of transitional milk, newborn goat kids were fed either frozen colostrum (following standard farm protocol), freeze-dried colostrum, or freeze-dried transitional milk. All feeding strategies were well tolerated, with no adverse health effects, and resulted in similar growth performance. At 48 hours of life, serum IgG concentrations were 13.95 mg/mL in kids fed frozen colostrum, 17.36 mg/mL in those fed freeze-dried colostrum and 11.65 mg/mL in those fed freeze-dried transitional milk. Notably, kids fed freeze-dried transitional milk achieved satisfactory immunoglobulin levels, supporting its potential for passive immune transfer. These results highlight the biological value of transitional milk and support its use as a colostrum substitute in intensive farming systems, particularly when maternal colostrum is unavailable or insufficient. Furthermore, freeze-drying effectively preserved its functional properties, enabling convenient storage, handling, and administration. Overall, the successful use and preservation of transitional milk represent a sustainable approach to improving colostrum management, reducing waste, and increasing the efficiency of kid rearing in dairy goat production, in line with circular economy principles.
Project description:We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of human breast milk and paired peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected longitudinally across lactation. The study characterizes dynamic changes in epithelial and immune cell populations during the transition from colostrum to mature milk and compares breast milk immune cells with paired maternal peripheral blood immune cells.
Project description:Breast milk is the primary source of nutrition for newborns, and rich in immunological components. microRNAs (miRNAs), a well-defined group of non-coding small RNAs, are present in various body fluids (such as breast milk), which are selectively packaged inside the exosomes, a type of membrane vesicles, secreted by most cell types. These exosomal miRNAs could be actively delivered into recipient cells, and regulate target gene expression and recipient cell function. We present the lactation-related miRNA expression profiles in porcine milk exosomes across entire lactation period in pig industry (newborn to 28 days after birth) using deep sequencing technology. We found that the immune-related miRNAs are presented and enriched in breast milk exosomes, and generally resistant to relatively harsh conditions. Notably, these exosomal miRNAs exhibited the higher abundances in the colostrum (newborn to 3 days after birth) than that in the mature milk (7 to 28 days after birth), as well as in the serum of colostrum-feeding piglets compared with the only mature milk-feeding piglets. These immune-related miRNAs-loaded exosomes in breast milk may be transferred into the infant body via the digestive tract. These observations are prelude to the in-depth investigations of the essential roles of the breast milk in the development of the infant’s immune system.
Project description:Breast milk is the primary source of nutrition for newborns, and rich in immunological components. microRNAs (miRNAs), a well-defined group of non-coding small RNAs, are present in various body fluids (such as breast milk), which are selectively packaged inside the exosomes, a type of membrane vesicles, secreted by most cell types. These exosomal miRNAs could be actively delivered into recipient cells, and regulate target gene expression and recipient cell function. We present the lactation-related miRNA expression profiles in porcine milk exosomes across entire lactation period in pig industry (newborn to 28 days after birth) using deep sequencing technology. We found that the immune-related miRNAs are presented and enriched in breast milk exosomes, and generally resistant to relatively harsh conditions. Notably, these exosomal miRNAs exhibited the higher abundances in the colostrum (newborn to 3 days after birth) than that in the mature milk (7 to 28 days after birth), as well as in the serum of colostrum-feeding piglets compared with the only mature milk-feeding piglets. These immune-related miRNAs-loaded exosomes in breast milk may be transferred into the infant body via the digestive tract. These observations are prelude to the in-depth investigations of the essential roles of the breast milk in the development of the infant’s immune system. Eight small RNA libraries in porcine breast milk exosomes of six lactigenous stages (0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after birth) from three female pigs were sequenced.
Project description:The protein profile of bovine milk serum was characterised as milk transitions from colostrum to transition milk over the first 5 days of lactation. Samples were collected from first and third parity cows at days 0, 2, 5 (D0, D2, D5) after calving. Following isolation of the milk serum fraction, label-free quantitative proteomics was carried out following normalisation by total protein concentration. Protein profiles indicated samples clustered by day postpartum, but not by parity. Proteins (n = 471) were identified and relative quantification was performed, with 199 protein groups showing altered abundance by day of lactation (fold change ≥ 2, P < 0.05). Elevated levels of immune proteins, including immunoglobulins and complement proteins were detected in colostrum with levels significantly decreasing by D2. These findings provide an outline of the dynamics of the protein profile of bovine milk and colostrum in early lactation.