Hyperuricemia is a prevalent metabolic disorder associated with gout and systemic inflammation, underscoring the urgent need for safe and effective therapeutic strategies. Probiotics derived from human milk have garnered considerable interest due to their safety profile and potential urate-lowering effects. This study evaluated the ameliorative effects of human milk-derived Limosilactobacillus reuteri HM108 on hemolymph uric acid (UA) levels and intestinal inflammation using a hyperuricemic honeybee model, and further explored the underlying mechanisms. Newly emerged worker bees were divided into three groups: control (CON), hyperuricemia model (HUA, fed a yeast RNA diet), and HM108 intervention (HUA diet + HM108). After 12 days, hemolymph UA levels and intestinal inflammatory gene expression were assessed. Multi-omics approaches including metabolomics, transcriptomics, and metagenomics were integrated to investigate the mechanisms. The results showed that the HUA group had a significant increase in hemolymph UA (+33.19%, P < 0.01) and pronounced upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes (Wnt-Rho1, PGRP-LC, Atg1, MAPK-phl, Toll). HM108 intervention restored UA to CON levels and reversed the expression of inflammatory genes. Metabolomics revealed significant enrichment of purine/pyrimidine metabolism pathways and UA precursors (e.g., guanine, hypoxanthine) in the HUA group, which were significantly suppressed by HM108. Metagenomics confirmed successful colonization of HM108, whose abundance was negatively correlated with UA levels, and revealed that HM108 alleviated HUA-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. In conclusion, HM108 ameliorates hyperuricemia by degrading intestinal purines, reducing UA synthesis, attenuating inflammation, and modulating gut microbiota, demonstrating its potential as a functional food or therapeutic agent.

Human milk is considered the most appropriate and balanced form of nutrition for infants, and remains the sole recommended source of nourishment during the newborn period. Beyond its role in supplying essential nutrients, human milk naturally contains a complex mixture of biologically active substances that contribute to infant growth, immune protection, and overall health. Among these components, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) stand out for both their abundance and structural diversity. Found exclusively and in high concentrations in human milk, HMOs function as prebiotic molecules that are not digested by human enzymes. Instead, they foster the colonization of beneficial intestinal microbes, block the attachment of pathogens to epithelial surfaces, influence gut and immune signaling pathways, and have been linked to favorable effects on brain development and cognitive performance in early life. In this review, we first trace the historical progression of HMO research and summarize the key milestones in studies conducted domestically and internationally. We then summarized the preclinical and clinical data on HMOs over the past decade. Finally, we highlighted the recent progress in the synthesis and production of HMOs, as well as current understanding of their metabolic utilization by the infant gut microbiota during breastfeeding. Overall, HMOs serve as key bioactive factors supporting infant nutrition, microbial balance, and immune protection. Therefore, breastfeeding remains the most natural and effective approach to deliver these functional components and promote healthy growth and development in early life.

Sialic acid (SA) is a naturally occurring derivative of nine-carbon monosaccharides that are typically present as oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, or glycolipids in the blood during pregnancy and in breast milk. Hepatic synthesis of SA occurs from the fetal period to 6 months after birth; therefore, exogenous SA is essential for early life growth and development. This review examines the nutritional requirements for various forms of SA in early life, considering its content in the maternal serum, breast milk, and supplementary infant foods. Additionally, it examines the synthesis and metabolism of SA, its roles in the brain and intestinal development, immune system maturation, and its efficacy in preventing and managing preterm birth and related conditions. Finally, it highlights crucial research in SA nutrition in early life to provide a scientific basis for the use of SA in infant formulas, maternal food, and medical settings.

Probiotics have received considerable attention owing to their potential benefits in maintaining intestinal health, modulating immune function, and antioxidant activity. The antioxidant capacity of recently isolated and screened probiotics have not been characterized. Therefore, the present study used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to investigate the effects of three novel probiotics (Limosilactobacillus reuteri B1-10, Lactobacillus paragasseri B1-26, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus B2-1) and their probiotic complexes, isolated from breast milk, on the ability to delay aging and antioxidant capacity. Probiotics significantly prolonged the lifespan of nematodes by reducing lipofuscin accumulation, and their average lifespan was prolonged by 19.40% (B1-10), 7.72% (B1-26), 19.72% (B2-1) and 20.30% (complex probiotic), respectively. The probiotics reduce nematode fecundity and retard their growth and development, possibly due to dietary restriction. Additionally, the probiotics reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde content, the reductions were 9.7%–44.5% and 18.69%–46.99%, respectively, and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione, the increases were 26.22% to 41.72%, 30.33% to 83.20% and 77.13% to 171.85%, respectively. The complex probiotic was the most effective in improving the C. elegans resistance to hydrogen peroxide stressors. Furthermore, the probiotics acts on the insulin/insulin-like pathway to regulate the expression of daf-16, which in turn upregulates the expression of sod-3, ctl-1, sod-1, down-regulated the expression of age-1, and promoted the nuclear localization of DAF-16::GFP nematodes to prolong the lifespan and antioxidant capacity of C. elegans. These results provide a new basis and research direction for further analyses of the role of probiotics in maintaining the health, improving stress resistance, and prolonging the lifespan of the host. They also provide potential insights into the development of functional food to facilitate anti-aging management in humans.

Milk contains heterogeneous cell populations such as mammary epithelial cells, immune cells, and pluripotent stem cells. These cells not only participate in the synthesis and secretion of nutrients but also play roles in immune defense, tissue repair and development, directly affecting the quality of milk and the health of mothers and infants. The emergence of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology enables researchers to map the milk-derived cell atlas at the single-cell level, revealing the lactation regulation network and the mechanism of cell-cell interaction. This technology provides a new tool for optimizing the quality of milk sources and maternal and infant interventions. This review mainly summarizes the major cell types and their functions in human and bovine milk, as well as the current status of the application of scRNA-seq technology in milk-derived cells, providing a reference for further studies on the lactation mechanism of milk-derived cells.

1(3)-Oleoyl-2-palmitoyl-3(1)-linoleoylglycerol (OPL) and 1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol (OPO) are the most abundant sn-2 palmitoyl lipids in human milk, whose intake in early life might influence the short- and long-term health of human. However, only OPO is widely approved for use in infant formula, scientific evidence regarding OPL’s suitability and optimal dosage remains limited. Reliable model organisms are therefore needed to explore the effects of these structured lipids intervention in early life on the lipid metabolism and associated health outcomes. Using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), we investigated how dietary supplementation with OPL and/or OPO during L1 to L4 affected lipid composition, content, metabolism, and morphology at L4, and how these changes influenced growth, lifespan, movement, and stress resistance. Specifically, mixed OPL and OPO supplementation (10 mg/L) significantly increased (P < 0.001) the body length of C. elegans, with no effect on body width. While appropriate concentrations of OPO significantly extended lifespan, high concentrations of OPL reduced it, indicating that variations in structured lipid composition may differentially impact lipid metabolism and longevity. Locomotion was more enhanced in the OPO and OPLOPO, suggesting that OPO more effectively improved mobility. Furthermore, mixed supplementation with OPO and OPL (10 mg/L) enhanced survival under heat, ultraviolet (UV), and oxidative stress, likely due to increased levels of PE, MUFA, PUFA, EPA, and DAG, along with alterations in lipid droplets. This study provides novel insights into the composition, function, and potential applications of structured lipids relevant to infant nutrition, and highlights the possible role of OPL in supporting infant nutrition.

Due to the unique and harsh geographical and climatic conditions at high altitudes, longitudinal studies on the composition of human milk (HM) in Tibet are important but scarce, particularly those investigating the dynamic changes of HM bioactive proteins. This study adopted a longitudinal study design to analyze the concentrations of immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgM, IgG, secretory IgA (SIgA), β-casein, κ-casein, and lactoferrin in HM from 33 Tibetan mothers at 2, 4, and 6 months after delivery using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The influence of related maternal and infant factors on the contents was also analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of SIgA and IgA were significantly higher at 6 months postpartum than those at 4 months postpartum (56.4 ± 6.3 mg/L vs. 46.4 ± 16.2 mg/L, P = 0.015; and 1769.8 ± 250.1 mg/L vs. 1220.4 ± 365.7 mg/L, P = 0.014, respectively), while other proteins showed no significant differences from 2 to 6 months. The increase of SIgA and IgA may be closely related to maternal immune adaptation and infants' exposure to the environment. The maternal immune system perceives pathogens in the environment and dynamically regulates the content of immunoglobulin in HM. Correlation analysis and generalized estimating equation analyses revealed that maternal occupation, maternal height, gestational weight gain, post-pregnancy body mass index, infant birth weight, and infant birth length influenced the levels of the seven HM bioactive proteins to varying degrees. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of HM bioactive proteins in Tibetan mothers and the impact of maternal and infant factors, offering insights for developing early nutrition strategies and infant formula tailored to the specific needs of Tibetan infants.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disease afflicting women of childbearing age. It is characterized by irregular menstruation, clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenemia, and polycystic ovary morphology. As a complex endocrine-metabolic syndrome (MS), PCOS shares several endocrine-metabolic features with the MS, with insulin resistance at the core of their pathogenic mechanisms. PCOS and MS are interrelated and thus have similarities in treatment. Currently, the common treatment modalities for both are lifestyle intervention, medication, and surgery. More studies have shown that lifestyle intervention and regulation of intestinal flora are more effective and sustainable. However, progress towards treatment and cure is hampered by unclear etiology and mechanisms. This review aimed to summarize the relationship between PCOS and MS, the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders, and the current nutritional therapeutic strategies, especially lifestyle modifications and modulation of intestinal flora. Lifestyle interventions combined with the regulation of gut flora can be a new perspective for treatment. This perspective has a positive significance in the early diagnosis, adoption of personalized treatment plans, and prevention of complications in PCOS and MS. The need to prevent the occurrence of MS in patients with PCOS should be emphasized.

Probiotics show anti-influenza activity, offering a potential variant-resistant alternative for infection prevention and control. In this study, we evaluated whether a specially formulated yogurt enriched with synbiotics (named yogurt 1) with 7 probiotics and 6 prebiotics, has anti-influenza effects and its underlying mechanisms using a mouse model challenged with influenza virus H1N1 PR8 strain. The mice were treated with phosphate-buffered saline (negative control), yogurt matrix, yogurt 1, and oseltamivir (positive control), respectively. Yogurt 1 treatment improved the survival of infected mice (from 0% to 30%), alleviated pathological injuries in the lungs and colon, and reduced the viral load of influenza virus on day 3 and day 7 post-infection. Yogurt 1 also downregulated some inflammation-related signaling pathways and reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines or chemokines in the lungs or serum, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC). The levels of short-chain fatty acids in the cecal content were increased, the diversity of the intestinal flora was partially restored, and influenza-specific IgG and interferon-secreting lymphocytes were enhanced following yogurt 1 administration. Thus, yogurt 1, as a commercial and easily accessible dairy product, demonstrated a notable anti-influenza effect in mice by inhibiting viral proliferation, suppressing excessive inflammatory responses, and promoting influenza virus-specific adaptive humoral and cellular immune responses, demonstrating its potential for influenza epidemic prevention and control.

Osteoporosis afflicts 200 million patients worldwide. With the aging of the global population, the incidence of osteoporosis will continue to increase, and the prevention of osteoporosis has become an urgent problem in the field of public health. This paper analyzes the mechanisms by which milk and dairy products as well as their components such as minerals, vitamins, protein, fat and lactose modulate the intestinal flora and in turn affect calcium absorption and bone health. The interventional effects of dairy products fortified with vitamin D, prebiotics and/or probiotics in different populations and their effect in reducing the risk of osteoporosis are reviewed. The interventional effects of dairy products and plant-based milk are compared. This review hopes to provide a scientific reference for precision intervention with dairy products to improve bone health.