Integration of Raman spectroscopy and chemometric modeling to study lactose effects on human glioblastoma brain cells

Lactose, a disaccharide composed of glucose and galactose, serves not only as a dietary carbohydrate but also as a versatile metabolic substrate in mammalian cells. In this study, we examined the role of lactose in human glioblastoma cells (U-87 MG) using Raman spectroscopy supported by chemometric analysis. In addition, we compared the cellular responses of glioblastoma cells and normal astrocytes to identify potential biochemical differences between malignant and non-malignant cells. Our results indicate that Raman bands associated with cytochromes, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acid-related vibrations may serve as potential spectroscopic markers of biochemical alterations in human brain cells following lactose supplementation. The observed spectral changes suggest that lactose exposure may be associated with modifications in cellular metabolism and bioenergetic homeostasis; however, direct effects on protein post-translational modifications or epigenetic regulation were not experimentally validated in the present study. Furthermore, our results indicate that Raman spectroscopy combined with PLS-DA analysis may provide additional insight into the biochemical responses of brain cells following lactose supplementation, potentially contributing to a better understanding of metabolic alterations relevant to neuronal physiology and disease-associated cellular remodeling.