Milk contains several important nutrients that are beneficial for human health. This review considers the nutritional qualities of essential fatty acids (FAs), especially omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) present in milk from ruminant and non-ruminant species. In particular, the impact of milk fatty acids on metabolism is discussed, including its effects on the central nervous system. In addition, we presented data indicating how animal feeding—the main way to modify milk fat composition—may have a potential impact on human health, and how rearing and feeding systems strongly affect milk quality within the same animal species. Finally, we have presented the results of in vivo studies aimed at supporting the beneficial effects of milk FA intake in animal models, and the factors limiting their transferability to humans were discussed.

Obesity is a major risk factor for several metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, and brain disorders. Growing evidence suggests the importance of inter-organ metabolic communication for the progression of obesity and the subsequent onset of related disorders. This review provides a broad overview of the pathophysiological processes that from adipose tissue dysfunction leading to altered multi-tissue crosstalk relevant to regulating energy homeostasis and the etiology of obesity. First, a comprehensive description of the role of adipose tissue was reported. Then, attention was turned toward the unhealthy expansion of adipose tissue, low-grade inflammatory state, metabolic inflexibility, and mitochondrial dysfunction as root causes of systemic metabolic alterations. In addition, a short spot was devoted to iron deficiency in obese conditions and the role of the hepcidin–ferroportin relationship in the management of this issue. Finally, different classes of bioactive food components were described with a perspective to enhance their potential preventive and therapeutic use against obesity-related diseases.

Milk is an important food of the daily diet. Many countries include it in their dietary recommendations due to its content in several important nutrients that exert beneficial effects on human health. Human milk is a newborn's first food and plays an important role in the growth, development, and future health of every individual. Cow milk is the type of milk most consumed in the world. However, its relatively high content of saturated fats raises concerns about potential adverse effects on human health, although epidemiological studies have disproved this association. Indeed, dairy consumption appear to be linked to a lower risk of mortality and major cardiovascular disease events. In the last few years many researchers have begun to focus their attention on both the production and quality of cow milk as well as the analysis of milk from other animal species to evaluate their effect on human health. The need to investigate the composition and metabolic effects of milk from other animal species arises from the adverse reactions of individuals in several groups to certain components of cow milk. It has emerged that donkey milk compared with that of other animal species, is the nearest to human milk and an excellent substitute for it. Milk from various animal species shows substantial differences in nutritional composition and distinct metabolic effects. In this review, we discussed the main compositional features and metabolic effects of 3 types of milk: human, cow, and donkey milk.

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of different compositions, in terms of main minerals and vitamins, of milk from animal species that represent the most common source of this food for humans, highlighting the uniqueness of nutritional qualities linked to animal species. It is known that milk is an important and valuable food for human nutrition, representing an excellent source of nutrients. Indeed, it contains both macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fat) that contribute to its nutritive and biological value and micronutrients represented by minerals and vitamins, which play a relevant role in the body’s various vital functions. Although their supply is represented by small quantities, vitamins and minerals are important components for a healthy diet. Milk composition in terms of minerals and vitamins differs between various animal species. Micronutrients are important components for human health as their deficiency is causes of malnutrition. Furthermore, we report on the most significant metabolic and beneficial effects of certain micronutrients in the milk, emphasizing the importance of this food for human health and the need for some milk enrichment procedures with the most relevant micronutrients to human health.

Lines of evidence have shown the embryogenic and transgenerational impact of bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical, on immune-metabolic alterations, inflammation, and oxidative stress, while BPA toxic effects in adult obese mice are still overlooked. Here, we evaluate BPA’s worsening effect on several hepatic maladaptive processes associated to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. After 12 weeks HFD feeding, C57Bl/6J male mice were exposed daily to BPA (50 μg/kg per os) along with HFD for 3 weeks. Glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism were examined in serum and/or liver. Hepatic oxidative damage (reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, antioxidant enzymes), and mitochondrial respiratory capacity were evaluated. Moreover, liver damage progression and inflammatory/immune response were determined by histological and molecular analysis. BPA amplified HFD-induced alteration of key factors involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, liver triglycerides accumulation, and worsened mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing oxidative stress and reducing antioxidant defense. The exacerbation by BPA of hepatic immune-metabolic dysfunction induced by HFD was shown by increased toll-like receptor-4 and its downstream pathways (i.e., NF-kB and NLRP3 inflammasome) amplifying inflammatory cytokine transcription and promoting fibrosis progression. This study evidences that BPA exposure represents an additional risk factor for the progression of fatty liver diseases strictly related to the cross-talk between oxidative stress and immune-metabolic impairment due to obesity.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are characterized by cognitive impairment and behavioural abnormalities. The incidence of NDDs in recent years has increased globally and the pathological mechanism is not fully understood. To date, plentiful evidence has showed that metabolic alterations associated with obesity and related issues such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction may represent an important risk factor, linking obesity and NDDs. Numerous studies have indicated a correlation between diet and brain activities. In this context, a key role is played by mitochondria located in the synaptic fraction; indeed, it has been shown that high-fat diets cause their dysfunction, affecting synaptic plasticity. In this scenario, the use of natural molecules that improve brain mitochondrial function represents an important therapeutic approach to treat NDDs. Recently, it was demonstrated that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid is capable of counteracting obesity in an animal model, modulating mitochondrial function. The aim of this study has been to evaluate the effects of butyrate on neuroinflammatory state, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain cortex and in the synaptic fraction of a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. Our data have shown that butyrate partially reverts neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the brain cortex and synaptic area, improving mitochondrial function and efficiency.