Whey proteins from camel's milk have higher in vitro wound-healing effect than whey proteins from cow's milk

The effectiveness of whey obtained by either enzyme (sweet) or acid treatment on wound healing remains unclear. This study investigated the effectiveness of camel and bovine whey prepared enzymatically (CSW and BSW) or by pH reduction (CAW and BAW). After removing the cream from milk, HCl or rennet was used to remove casein, resulting in acid or sweet whey, respectively, followed by lactose removal using dialysis. Casein removal was verified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Wound-healing activity was measured in vitro on HT-29 cells by scratch assay. All four whey samples (0-1000 mg L^-1) were applied on the cells, and the closure of the cell-free scratched areas was monitored for 48 h.

All whey samples increased the cell migration significantly (P < 0.05) to help close the cell-free areas as an indication of wound healing compared to the negative control. However, the closure amounts between the highest dose (1000 mg L^-1) and the control were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Acid whey samples significantly (P < 0.05) elevated the closure speed compared to the sweet whey samples. The highest closure percentage (64.69%) was achieved after treatment with 10 mg L^-1 CAW for 48 h. Between the sweet whey samples, BSW was significantly (P < 0.05) more effective in closing the cell-free zone compared to CSW.

This study investigated the wound-healing potential of camel and bovine whey in vitro by comparing their effects on HT-29 cell migration. CAW showed the greatest activity and may find uses as a treatment agent in wound healing. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.