Comparative Study on the Allergenicity of Goat and Bovine Milk Formula Powders

Goat milk is rich in nutrients and easy to digest. It has received widespread attention because of its similar nutritional composition to that of cow’s milk. This study evaluated the allergenicity of a goat milk formula powder through the decision tree for foods in allergenicity assessment (including bioinformatics, digestive stability, serological tests and animal model). The cross-reactivity of the goat milk formula powder with immunoglobulin (Ig) E in the serum from patients with cow’s milk allergy was also explored. The results showed that among 167 proteins in the goat milk formula powder, the contents of β-lactoglobulin and α-whey proteins were significantly lower than those of the bovine milk formula powder (P < 0.05). The goat milk formula powder was more digestible in simulated gastric fluid. The goat milk formula had weaker binding capacity to the patient’s serum compared to the bovine milk formula powder. The animal model showed that the rectal temperature of the goat milk formula powder-sensitized mice decreased less after challenging (P < 0.05), and the clinical allergy symptom score, serum specific IgE and IgG₁ antibody levels, plasma histamine levels, vascular permeability and severity of tissue inflammation were all notably lower than those in the bovine milk formula powder-sensitized mice (P < 0.05). The cross-reactivity results showed that the goat milk formula could interact with the serum from the patients with cow’s milk allergy, but the binding capacity was significantly lower than that to the bovine milk formula powder. In conclusion, the allergenicity of the goat milk formula powder is lower than that of the bovine milk formula powder, and thus can be a substitute for cow’s milk to reduce the risk of cow’s milk allergy.