Effect of Selenium-Enriched Donkey Milk on Lipid Metabolism Disorders Induced by a High-Fat Diet

  • Foods. 2026 May 8;15(10):1640. doi: 10.3390/foods15101640.
Qizhen Zhong  1 ,  Jie Cheng  2  3 ,  Gengli Huang  1 ,  Julei Zhan  1 ,  Xue Chen  1 ,  Meixuan Liu  1 ,  Guangyuan Liu  2  3 ,  Zhuoru Ren  2  3 ,  Xuemei Chen  4 ,  Xiaoshu Tang  4 ,  Zhouping Wang  1  4  5  6
Affiliations
  • 1. State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Lihu Road 1800, Wuxi 214122, China.
  • 2. Shandong Key Laboratory of Gelatine Medicines Research and Development, Dong'e Ejiao Co., Ltd., Liaocheng 252200, China.
  • 3. National Engineering Technology Research Center for Gelatin-Based Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dong'e Ejiao Co., Ltd., Liaocheng 252200, China.
  • 4. National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
  • 5. Key Laboratory of Screening, Prevention, and Control of Food Safety Risks, State Administration for Market Regulation, Wuxi 214122, China.
  • 6. School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
PMID: 42195843 DOI: 10.3390/foods15101640
Abstract

Selenium-enriched donkey milk (Se-DM) is characterized by low fat levels, low casein levels, high antioxidant activity, and high selenium content. To date, the regulatory role of Se-DM in the context of a high-fat diet (HFD) is unclear, prompting this present study to elucidate the potential mechanisms by which it affects the gut microbiota and hepatic lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-fat diet. The effects of Se-DM on fat accumulation and lipid peroxidation in HFD rats were investigated through non-targeted fecal metabolomics, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) quantification, 16S microbial analysis, and pathological assessments. The results showed that Se-DM enhanced SCFA production by promoting Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) proliferation, thereby regulating the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway and Ferroptosis. Immunoblotting of hepatic tissues and qPCR analyses confirmed the engagement of the AMP-activated protein kinase cascade, suppression of Ferroptosis, and reduction in fatty acid synthesis-related proteins (FASN, CD36, SCD1). Our findings revealed that Se-enriched donkey milk (Se-DM) ameliorated lipid metabolism in rats, providing theoretical support for developing functional foods to treat hyperlipidemia.

Keywords
AMP-activated protein kinase; Akkermansia muciniphila; selenium-enriched donkey milk; short-chain fatty acid.
Products