The effects of native whey and α-lactalbumin on the social and individual behaviour of C57BL/6J mice.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether long-term ingestion of alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-lac) compared to other milk proteins (native whey and casein) modulates social and individual behavior in mice, particularly in relation to anxiety and depression-like states.
Results Summary
The study found that a diet enriched with alpha-lac exhibited anxiolytic and antidepressive effects, while whey improved sociability. These effects were more pronounced under stressful conditions (running wheel access and diet withdrawal) and persisted for a week after feeding cessation. Limitations include the use of mice, which may not fully translate to humans, and the lack of mechanistic insights.
Population
Male C57BL/6J mice with voluntary access to a running wheel.
Effective Dosage
17% (w/w) of the experimental diet.
Duration
30-day dietary intervention, with additional 7-day withdrawal period for half of each group.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diet enriched with alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-lac) | decrease | anxiety and depression-like status | male C57BL/6J mice | - | exhibited anxiolytic and antidepressive activities | #1 |
Diet enriched with whey | increase | social behaviour | male C57BL/6J mice | - | improved sociability | #2 |
Long-term ingestion of whey proteins | neutral | behaviour | male C57BL/6J mice | - | may modulate behaviour | #3 |
Milk proteins | increase | mental state | male C57BL/6J mice | - | have prolonged efficacy on the mental state | #4 |
Milk proteins are the main components of everyday feeding and demonstrate a promising potential to change the mental condition. However, the effects of milk proteins after prolonged use remain poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of two whey proteins (alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-lac) and native whey) with casein on social and individual behaviour in mice. During a 30 d-long dietary intervention, male C57BL/6J mice had ad libitum access to an experimental diet containing 17% (w/w) of one of three protein sources: a-lac, native whey or casein. Mice had voluntary access to a running wheel. Social behaviour (group and resident-intruder activity) was tested at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Half of each dietary group was then withdrawn from the diet and running wheel for 7 d, and social activity and individual behaviour tests (open field, elevated-plus maze, light–dark box and forced swimming) were performed, to evaluate anxiety and depression-like status. The study shows that the long-term ingestion of whey proteins may modulate behaviour when compared with casein. Diet enriched with a-lac exhibited anxiolytic and antidepressive activities while the whey diet improved sociability. The differences between the diet groups were pronounced under the running wheel and the withdrawal of the experimental diet, suggesting that the beneficial effects of the milk proteins are clearer in stressful situations. Diet-induced behavioural changes remained visible for a week after feeding, which suggests that the proteins of the milk whey fraction have prolonged efficacy on the mental state of mice.