Amin Abbasi

Background. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles that play a pivotal role in intercellular communication. Among various biological fluids, mammalian milk has emerged as an ideal source due to its safety, wide availability, and cost-effectiveness. Despite significant growth in this field, current evidence remains fragmented due to heterogeneity in biological sources, isolation protocols, purity standards, and stability assessment criteria. This critical review addresses this research gap by providing a systematic comparison of various milk sources and isolation methods with evaluating purity, yield, proteomic profiles, stability, and translational applicability and thereby elucidating the biomedical potential of these nanovesicles. Methods. In this critical review, relevant data were gathered by searching key terms (milk-derived exosomes, sources, extraction approaches, proteomics, stability, and biopharmaceutical applications) across the Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases, covering literature from inception up to July 2026. All source materials associated with empirical studies were included in the analysis, whereas publications lacking accessible full texts were excluded. Results. The reviewed studies indicate that milk‑derived exosomes are capable of crossing biological barriers, entering target cells, and delivering molecular cargos including proteins, mRNA, miRNA, and lipids, thereby modulating recipient cell functions. Contaminants were shown to significantly affect exosome purity, highlighting the need for reproducible isolation techniques such as differential centrifugation, density‑gradient ultracentrifugation, size‑exclusion chromatography, and ExoQuick precipitation. LC‑MS/MS‑based proteomic analyses have enabled precise characterization of exosomal components and deeper insight into their biogenesis and functional roles. Evidence also demonstrates that milk‑derived exosomes exhibit considerable stability under various temperature conditions and in simulated gastrointestinal environments, effectively protecting their cargos. Moreover, preclinical studies emphasize their bioactive properties, therapeutic delivery potential, and utility as non‑invasive biomarkers for disease diagnosis. Conclusion. Milk‑derived exosomes represent a promising platform for biomedical applications and advanced drug delivery systems owing to their biological stability, efficient molecular cargo transport capacity, and high biocompatibility. Nevertheless, standardization of isolation procedures and further clinical evaluations are essential to fully realize their therapeutic potential. Practical Implications. Milk‑derived exosomes can serve as safe and naturally biocompatible nanocarriers for drug and gene delivery. Their stability and ability to cross biological barriers make them promising candidates for the development of novel therapeutic systems, functional foods, and non‑invasive diagnostic biomarkers.

Probiotics and postbiotics are essential components of modern dietary supplements, recognized for their beneficial effects on human health. While probiotics positively influence gut microbiota, digestion, and immune responses, their safety remains a concern, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, due to risks such as infections, transfer of antibiotic resistance genes, and systemic complications. In contrast, postbiotics—defined as inanimate microorganisms and/or their cellular components—offer a safer alternative by providing similar health benefits without the risks associated with live microorganisms. However, safety assessments of postbiotics remain limited and must address critical issues such as cytotoxicity, impurity profiles, and dose–response uncertainties, which are currently underexplored in the literature. Their enhanced stability under various environmental conditions further supports their application in inhibiting foodborne pathogens and extending product shelf life. This review critically evaluates the safety profiles of probiotics and postbiotics, offering a balanced analysis of their benefits and limitations, with particular attention to emerging safety concerns, risk assessment criteria, and applications in food safety and human health. Despite their promising safety profile, widespread adoption of postbiotics is hindered by the absence of standardized safety protocols and long-term toxicological data. Future research should therefore prioritize establishing evidence-based safety criteria, optimizing dosage and formulation for both probiotics and postbiotics, and addressing existing knowledge gaps through rigorous, targeted clinical studies, especially in vulnerable populations. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Scopus databases covering the period from 2000 to 2025.

5 Abstract The objective of this study was to analyze the chemical profile (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), cell-based safety (cell viability, SOD and GSH-Px activity, NO production, and ROS activity), antioxidant properties (hydroxyl-, DPPH-radical scavenging activity, and linoleic acid peroxidation inhibitory activity), biofilm and auto-aggregation inhibitory activity, and antibacterial effects (minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration and minimum effective concentration) of Lactobacillus plantarum postbiotics (LPPs) in relation to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. LPPs demonstrated notable Radical scavenging activity, with values of 72.30 ± 3.41% for hydroxyl RSA, 95.76 ± 3.72% for DPPH, and 20.98 ± 1.67% for linoleic acid peroxidation inhibition. Additionally, they demonstrated antibacterial effects against S. aureus (29.45 mm inhibition zone, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 32 µg/mL, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 50 µg/mL, minimal effective concentration (MEC) of 30 mg/mL for whole milk and 55 mg/mL for meat) and E. coli (21.17 mm inhibition zone, MIC 80 µg/mL, MBC 120 µg/mL, MEC 65 mg/mL milk, 85 mg/mL meat) with statistical significance noted (P < 0.05). LPPs demonstrated a positive effect on KDR cell viability, resulting in a significant enhancement of SOD and GSH-Px functions in these cells. Additionally, LPPs resulted in a decrease in NO production and a reduction in ROS levels (P < 0.05). Consequently, LPPs present a promising strategy for addressing the proliferation of S. aureus and E. coli, and they hold potential for application in the food industry to mitigate safety concerns associated with pathogenic microbes.

Environmental and chemical contaminants from industrial and agricultural sources increasingly threaten food safety worldwide. These contaminants, including bacterial toxins (e.g., botulinum toxin), mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin, ochratoxin), pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics, pose significant health and economic risks. Emerging evidence highlights that chronic exposure to such xenobiotics disrupts gut microbiota structure and function, adversely affecting host health. While traditional physicochemical detoxification methods exist, they often require impractical conditions. Biological detoxification via probiotics and their metabolites (postbiotics) has gained attention as a practical and cost-effective alternative. Numerous studies concur that probiotics can bind, biotransform, or sequester xenobiotics, thereby mitigating toxicity and restoring microbiota balance. However, variations in strain efficacy, binding mechanisms, and in vivo performance indicate areas needing further exploration. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge on probiotic-mediated detoxification mechanisms, their interaction with xenobiotics and the gut microbiome, and host responses, highlighting consensus, discrepancies, and gaps to inform future research and applications.

This study investigates the impact of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum postbiotics (LPP) on microbiological and chemical alterations in raw rainbow trout fillets stored at 4°C. LPP, containing chemicals such as methyl ester, oleic acid, and eucalyptol, demonstrated considerable radical scavenging action and improved cellular safety, enhancing cell survival by 118.70% to 170.60% and elevating SOD (20.10–33.14 mU mg−1) and GSH-Px (99.80–120.30 mU mg−1) activity. The use of LPP (1.5%, 0.8%, 0.5%) and potassium sorbate (PS) in raw fish fillets resulted in a significant decrease in microbial proliferation, with the 1.5% LPP treatment achieving a reduction in Listeria monocytogenes count by 5.6 ± 0.07 log CFU g–1 by day 2. Additionally, chemical parameters showed marked stability; the pH value increased from 6.22 ± 0.08 to 6.4 ± 0.03 in the 1.5% LPP-treated fillets by day 12. Total volatile basic nitrogen levels for the same treatment remained below the acceptable threshold of 25 mg 100 g–1 until day 8 (21.23 ± 0.19 mg 100 g–1), while TBA levels peaked at 1.1 ± 0.02 mg kg−1 on day 12. This approach prolonged shelf life by up to 12 days, maintaining fillet quality with no adverse sensory consequences.

In 2008, the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia, and Wasting Disorders introduced a generic definition for all types of cachexia: “a complex metabolic syndrome associated with the underlying illness characterized by a loss of muscle, with or without fat loss”. It is well-known that the presence of inflammatory burden in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients may lead to the evolution of cachexia. Since the etiology of cachexia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is multifactorial, thus the successful treatment must involve several concomitant measures (nutritional interventions, appetite stimulants, and anti-inflammatory pharmacologic agents) to provide integrated effective therapeutic modalities to combat causative factors and alleviate the outcomes of patients. Given the high mortality rate associated with cachexia, developing new therapeutic modalities are prerequisite for ameliorating patients with CKD worldwide. The present review aims to discuss some therapeutic strategies and provide an update on advances in nutritional approaches to counteract cachexia.