Comparative analysis of the lipidome, fatty acids, and fat globule particle size in camel and bovine milk across different regions.

Geographical origin may be a key factor contributing to variations in dairy product quality. This study focuses on the fatty acid composition and lipidome of camel milk and bovine milk from different regions, aiming to highlight lipid biomarkers that remain unaffected by regional variations in both camel and bovine milk, as well as region-specific lipid biomarkers present in camel milk. The results showed that camel milk consistently exhibited higher levels of long-chain fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas bovine milk showed a higher proportion of medium-chain and short-chain saturated fatty acids, regardless of the region. Lipidomic analysis revealed that phospholipids were more abundant in camel milk, while triglycerides and diglycerides were characteristic lipids in bovine milk. Certain lipid biomarkers were more abundant in specific types of milk, such as PC (21:4/21:6CHO), FA (29:3), and Hex3Cer (d18:0/24:2) in camel milk, and CerPE (d41:6) in bovine milk, and could be used to distinguish camel milk from bovine milk across all 3 regions. Additionally, fatty acids and lipid molecules distinguishing camel milk from different regions were identified, including C18:3n3 and PE (18:2/22:2CHO) in XJNC, C18:2n6c in XJSC, and C14:0 and PS (16:0/18:1) in IMC. These findings provide new insights into developing species-specific nutritional strategies and regional traceability of dairy products.