Traditional fermented camel milk from Xinjiang, China, used as a starter culture exhibits stable fermentation characteristics and anti-colitis effects

Abstract

In this study, five traditional fermented camel milks obtained from five different pasturing areas in Xinjiang, China, were evaluated for their fermentation stability, microbiota composition, and amino acid and peptide profiles. The results demonstrated that traditional fermented camel milk from Xinjiang, when used as a starter culture, maintains stable pH, titratable acidity and viable bacterial counts during continuous camel milk fermentation. The core microbial species identified in the fermented camel milk included Lactobacillus helveticus, Acetobacter lovaniensis, Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Kazachstania unispora, Saccharomyces sp., Naumovozyma castellii, and Kluyveromyces marxianus. The camel milk fermented with this traditional starter culture was rich in various amino acids and bioactive peptides. Oral administration of the fermented camel milk alleviated DSS-induced colitis in C57BL/6J mice, as evidenced by ameliorated intestinal barrier impairment, and suppressed inflammatory responses, potentially through modulation of gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid production. These findings suggest that the whole microbiota of the traditional fermented camel milk can serve as a starter culture for successive camel milk fermentation, and that the resulting fermented camel milk shows potential as a functional food.