Improving Human Health with Milk Fat Globule Membrane, Lactic Acid Bacteria, and Bifidobacteria

Abstract

The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), the component that surrounds fat globules in milk, and its constituents have gained significant attention for their gut function, immune-boosting properties, and cognitive-development roles. The MFGM can directly interact with probiotic bacteria, such as bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), through interactions with bacterial surface proteins. With these interactions in mind, increasing evidence supports a synergistic effect between MFGM and probiotics to benefit human health at all ages. This important synergy affects the survival and adhesion of probiotic bacteria through gastrointestinal transit, mucosal immunity, and neurocognitive behavior in developing infants. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of the co-supplementation of MFGM and probiotics with a specific emphasis on their interactions and colocalization in dairy foods, supporting in vivo and clinical evidence, and current and future potential applications.

Evaluation of 2’-Fucosyllactose and Bifidobacterium longum Subspecies infantis on Growth, Organ Weights, and Intestinal Development of Piglets

“…The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life [ 55 ], however; only a quarter of infants in the US meet this goal [ 56 ]. Thus, there is a desire to improve the composition of infant formula in order to narrow the differences in microbial diversity, gut health and immune outcomes between breast and formula-fed infants, and oligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium have been identified as prime candidates [ 57 , 58 , 59 ]. In summary, this study demonstrates that the addition of 2’-FL and/or Bi-26 is well tolerated in piglets.…”

MUC1: Structure, Function, and Clinic Application in Epithelial Cancers

“…Membrane-bound MUC1 acts as a physical barrier through the action of its extracellular SEA domain, which can help regulate cell shedding and adhesion during metastasis; protect the apical cell membrane of epithelial cells from rupture, harmful environments, and immune attack; provide resistance to stimuli; inhibit immune responses through receptor shielding; and act as a decoy receptor for invading pathogens [ 7 ]. It is also involved in lubrication, cell surface hydration, and protection from degradative enzymes ( Figure 2 A) [ 18 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. In the normal oral mucosal epithelium, MUC1, together with MUC5B and MUC7, exerts antimicrobial effects by continuously lubricating and stabilizing the mucus on the cell surface and conferring protection against proteolysis, thus preventing dehydration [ 1 , 41 ].…”

The Impact of Homogenization on Donor Human Milk and Human Milk–Based Fortifiers and Implications for Preterm Infant Health

“…Specifically, although it is well established that changes in the physiochemical properties of milk fat globules influence digestion and absorption of nutrients in non-HM products ( 59 , 60 ), the food structure is a complex matrix of diverse components designed to be digested and absorbed during specific phases of digestion. This multiphasic digestion of the native milk fat globule influences the protein–protein interactions, such as the interaction of MFGM proteins and probiotic bacteria, Bifidobacterium spp., and lactic acid bacteria ( 61 ). These interactions are important to the survival and adhesion of probiotic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract as well as the development of mucosal immunity ( 61 ).…”