Health-Promoting Effects Of Goat’s Milk In Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impaired social interaction and repetitive behaviors. Emerging evidence suggests that nutritional interventions may help alleviate certain ASD symptoms. Goat milk (GM), recognized as a functional food, possesses hypoallergenic proteins and bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Compared to cow milk (CM), GM contains lower casein and higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA, which are linked to neuroprotective benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of GM versus CM on ASD-related biomarkers using a valproic acid (VPA)-induced rat model. Thirty male albino rats were divided into four groups: control-CM, control-GM, VPA-CM, and VPA-GM. After 15 days of dietary intervention, we assessed oxidative stress markers, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and neurotransmitters in blood serum and brain tissue.

Interestingly, glutathione levels improved and IL-6 levels slightly decreased in the VPA-GM group, suggesting a role for GM in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation. These findings highlight the potential of dietary modulation in managing ASD severity. Looking forward, integrating advanced technology such as natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance the translation and interpretation of complex biomedical data. Additionally, neural machine translation (NMT) tools could accelerate the global dissemination of ASD research, especially within the translation industry and healthcare systems adopting AI in the UAE and beyond.