Relevance
Genetic adaptation to milk consumption is one of the prominent examples of human evolution. The current and supported hypothesis states that populations whose ancestors had access to milk owned genetically adaptation to lactose. However, against the background of the rest of the world, Kazakhstan and Central Asia is an exception to this rule. Although, it is generally accepted that mare's milk, containing up to 7% milk sugar, was consumed by our population as early as 5500 years BC during the Botay culture. Nevertheless, lactase deficiency
is highly prevalent in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Mongolia (12-30%) in comparison with Western populations and Middle Eastern populations. According to Laure Segurel et al. (2020), this may be due to the same consumption of mare's milk, which is exposed to rapid fermentability by the intestinal flora. Goodrich et al. (2016) suggest that fermentation of lactose in the large intestine is associated mainly with bifidobacteria. Our studies also revealed an increase in the genus of Bifidobacterium in respondents who took mare's milk for 3 months (unpublished data). Resembling lactobacilli, they break down lactose to organic acids with the release of energy. Blekhman et al. (2015) was the first one to report about the relationship of Bifidobacterium contained in fecal microbiota and SNP near the LCT gene on chromosome 2.
The CC genotype of SNP rs4988235 in this locus is associated with lactase instability and an increased number of bifidobacteria compared to TT or TC genotypes. Based on this fact, the development and introduction into production, in Kazakhstan and throughout the territory of Central Asia, lactose-free products and / or low-lactose products enriched with bifidobacteria is a
perspective and valid task.
Expected and achieved results
Functional low-lactose products (bifido cottage cheese and bifido yoghurt), which have peculiar product characteristics and have probiotic activity, have been developed. Microbial cultures in starter cultures are selected in such a way as to provide the necessary texture of products, survival up to 7 days. They have high antagonistic properties against opportunistic bacterial cultures. Bifidobacteria, which are part of starter cultures for products, is characterized by the severity of their probiotic properties. In the future, it is planned to conduct work to obtain low-lactose products (from 0.1 to 1%). This lactose content is planned to be achieved through the addition of specialized enzyme lactase.
Genetic adaptation to milk consumption is one of the prominent examples of human evolution. The current and supported hypothesis states that populations whose ancestors had access to milk owned genetically adaptation to lactose. However, against the background of the rest of the world, Kazakhstan and Central Asia is an exception to this rule. Although, it is generally accepted that mare's milk, containing up to 7% milk sugar, was consumed by our population as early as 5500 years BC during the Botay culture. Nevertheless, lactase deficiency
is highly prevalent in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Mongolia (12-30%) in comparison with Western populations and Middle Eastern populations. According to Laure Segurel et al. (2020), this may be due to the same consumption of mare's milk, which is exposed to rapid fermentability by the intestinal flora. Goodrich et al. (2016) suggest that fermentation of lactose in the large intestine is associated mainly with bifidobacteria. Our studies also revealed an increase in the genus of Bifidobacterium in respondents who took mare's milk for 3 months (unpublished data). Resembling lactobacilli, they break down lactose to organic acids with the release of energy. Blekhman et al. (2015) was the first one to report about the relationship of Bifidobacterium contained in fecal microbiota and SNP near the LCT gene on chromosome 2.
The CC genotype of SNP rs4988235 in this locus is associated with lactase instability and an increased number of bifidobacteria compared to TT or TC genotypes. Based on this fact, the development and introduction into production, in Kazakhstan and throughout the territory of Central Asia, lactose-free products and / or low-lactose products enriched with bifidobacteria is a
perspective and valid task.
Expected and achieved results
Functional low-lactose products (bifido cottage cheese and bifido yoghurt), which have peculiar product characteristics and have probiotic activity, have been developed. Microbial cultures in starter cultures are selected in such a way as to provide the necessary texture of products, survival up to 7 days. They have high antagonistic properties against opportunistic bacterial cultures. Bifidobacteria, which are part of starter cultures for products, is characterized by the severity of their probiotic properties. In the future, it is planned to conduct work to obtain low-lactose products (from 0.1 to 1%). This lactose content is planned to be achieved through the addition of specialized enzyme lactase.