Impact of non-bovine milks and milk products on human gut microbiota: A perspective towards sustainable healthy food production

• Published in: Trends in food science & technology 2024-09, Vol.151, p.104642, Article 104642
• Main Authors: Koirala, Pankaj, Malav, Om Prakash, Rai, Sampurna, Palanisamy, Gokulakrishnan, Agrawal, Aparna, Dhar, Bablu Kumar, Bekhit, AlaaEl-Din A., Deokar, Gitanjali Sambhajirao, Nirmal, Nilesh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Human gut microbiota; Non-bovine milks; Nutrition; Sustainable food systems
• ISSN: 0924-2244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2024.104642

Non-bovine milks and its products have been reported to provide exceptional nutritional properties and have lower allergenicity compared to bovine milk. Non-bovine milks contain substantial quantities of oligosaccharides, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive peptides. Furthermore, bioactive compounds present in non-bovine milks have been reported to enhance the human body's defense system and modulate gut microbiota. As with bovine milk, the biochemical composition of non-bovine milks varies depending on the animal breed, age, season, feed type, and environmental conditions. This review investigated non-bovine milk from goat, sheep, camel, mare, and donkeys and their nutritional composition. Special emphasis has been given to the effects of non-bovine milks on the human gut microbiome and their contribution to well-being. Finally, the conclusion and future research directions on the evaluation of non-bovine milks on human gut microbiota are outlined. The results indicated that the non-bovine milks can be used to produce various dairy products which are an alternative to bovine milk. Furthermore, non-bovine milks have been reported to enhance health-promoting bacteria, while suppressing infection-causing bacteria in the human gut microbiota. Therefore, non-bovine milks should be promoted worldwide as a healthy alternative to conventional bovine milk and more critical research is needed to explore the optimal potential of non-bovine milks. •Non-bovine milk can be used to prepare different dairy products.•Nonbovine milk contained human analogous oligosaccharide profile.•Nonbovine milk foster the growth of human gut microbiota.•Nonbovine milk could be used to develop infant milk formula.