Lipidomic and proteomic profiling identifies the milk fat globule membrane composition of milk from cows and camels

This study was designed to detect lipidomic and proteomic differences in the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) fractions of cow and camel milk samples. In total, 353 lipid species were detected in these analyses, including 77 PEs, 30 PCs, 28 PIs, 59 SMs, 54 Cers, 13 LPCs, 14 LPEs, 20 PSs, and 4 PGs. These included 54 polar lipid species that differed significantly in abundance between cow and camel milk. Glycerophospholipid metabolism was identified as a core metabolic pathway associated with camel milk composition. Furthermore, 547 proteins exhibiting differential abundance were identified by a label-free proteomics methodology when comparing samples of MFGM from camels and cows. Of these proteins, those that differed most in expression between these groups were associated with metabolic pathways, including endoplasmic reticulum activity, endocytosis, and PI3K-Akt signaling. In conclusion, our findings provide a more thorough understanding of the composition of MFGM and its physiological significance, hence offering robust evidence for the potential utilization of camel milk as a nutritional resource in future developments.