Supplementation of milk polar lipids to obese dams improves neurodevelopment and cognitive function in male offspring

Milk contains about 4% fat globules with its surface covered by polar lipids. Despite the abundant consumption of dairy products, the biological effects of dietary milk polar lipids on metabolic health have only been sparsely examined. Maternal obesity results in neurodevelopmental disorders and cognitive impairment in offspring. Considering the importance of maternal nutrition, the effects of polar lipids‐enriched milk fat globule membrane (MFGM‐PL) supplementation to dams during pregnancy and lactation on neurodevelopment and its long‐term programming effects on offspring cognition were examined. Female Sprague‐Dawley rats consumed 8‐week control diet (CON) or high‐fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity before mating. Then, female rats were fed CON or HFD with or without the supplementation of 400 mg/kg body weight MFGM‐PL during pregnancy and lactation. The offspring were fed 11‐week HFD after weaning. MFGM‐PL supplementation to obese dams suppressed body weight gain and hyperinsulinemia in both dams and offspring. Offspring born to obese dams displayed delayed neurological reflexes development, impaired neurogenesis before weaning, and cognitive impairment in adulthood, which were recovered by maternal MFGM‐PL supplementation. Insulin resistance and aberrant brain‐derived neurotrophic factor signaling were induced in the hippocampus of neonatal and adult offspring due to maternal and progeny HFD, but recovered by maternal MFGM‐PL administration. This study demonstrates that maternal MFGM‐PL supplementation can promote neurodevelopment and exert long‐term effects against HFD‐induced cognitive impairment in offspring via alleviating hippocampal insulin resistance. Hence, MFGM‐PL is a promising ingredient for exerting beneficial programming effects on the brain health of offspring.