Lipids from camel milk exhibit in vitro anti-inflammatory properties

In this study, researchers from Oman, the UAE, and the U.K. investigated the effect of camel milk on glycated protein-mediated macrophage inflammation. The results of their study were published in the journal Functional Foods in Health and Disease.

• Camel milk is known for its anti-diabetic and health-promoting properties.
• The lipids in camel milk have also been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, the mechanism behind these effects are not well-studied.
• To determine how total lipids (TL) and total fatty acids (TFA) from camel milk can affect diabetic inflammation, the researchers used an in vitro model of differentiated THP-1 (dTHP-1) cells stimulated with glycated serum albumin (gBSA). These cells were pre-treated with TL or TFA before gBSA.
• Using GC-MS, the researchers found that TL is 96 percent triacylglycerol (TAG) while TFA is 65 percent saturated fatty acids and 35 percent unsaturated fatty acids.
• Both TL and TFA decreased gBSA-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and interleukin-1B (IL-1B).
• TL demonstrated the ability to regulate the expression of p50/p65 subunits of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) while concomitantly increasing the expression of regulatory cytokines like IL-10, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and cluster of differentiation 163 (CD163)-shifting cells toward an M2 macrophage phenotype.
• In addition, TL regulated the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome subunit and its regulator, ten-eleven translocation-2 (TET-2).

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that camel milk lipids can regulate gBSA-induced macrophage inflammation in vitro by controlling the expression of key inflammatory regulators like NF-kB and NLRP3 inflammasome subunit.

Journal Reference:

Al-Nasseri RH, Al-Ruqashi H, Al-Sabahi J, Al-Harrasi A, Kenekanian A, Banerjee Y, Morris K, Hassan N. LIPIDS DERIVED FROM CAMEL MILK REGULATE NLRP3 INFLAMMASOME-DEPENDENT INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES IN HUMAN MACROPHAGES. Functional Foods in Health and Disease. 2019;9(4):224. DOI: 10.31989/ffhd.v9i4.567