Egg White Peptides Boost Milk Production and Mammary Cell Proliferation in Breastfeeding Mice

Insufficient lactation is a critical global public health concern, directly impacting infant growth and development. Current interventions often lack comprehensive efficacy or mechanistic understanding. Food-derived egg white peptides (EWPs) are recognized for their potential lactation-promoting effects, yet the precise molecular mechanisms driving these benefits remain largely unexplored. This research addresses this gap by elucidating how EWPs modulate key signaling pathways and protein expression involved in milk synthesis and secretion.

Researchers investigated EWPs as a functional food component to enhance lactation in an overload breastfeeding mouse model. The study employed a combined phenotypic and omics approach. Mice received dietary supplementation with EWPs (specific dose not provided). Phenotypic analyses assessed milk production and mammary gland epithelial cell proliferation. Further mechanistic insights were gained through transcriptomic and western blot analyses to identify modulated signaling pathways and protein expression levels. The study also evaluated the impact of EWP supplementation on maternal reproductive and lactational burdens.

Dietary supplementation with EWPs significantly increased milk production and promoted mammary gland epithelial cell proliferation in the overload breastfeeding mouse model. This intervention also effectively mitigated maternal reproductive and lactational burdens, supporting post-partum physiological recovery. Transcriptomic and western blot analyses revealed that EWPs exert their lactogenic effects by modulating both direct and indirect signaling pathways. Direct pathways include the prolactin, oxytocin, and insulin signaling cascades, which are crucial for regulating milk synthesis and secretion. Indirect pathways involve AMPK, JAK-STAT, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis, which collectively modulate energy metabolism and cellular homeostasis to support lactation. At the protein level, EWPs were found to upregulate the expression of STAT5A, PFKM, and CRYAB, which are key regulators of milk protein synthesis. While specific numerical increases were not quantified in the abstract, the findings consistently demonstrated a significant positive impact.

EWPs significantly increased milk production and promoted mammary gland epithelial cell proliferation.