Milk systems of plant and animal origin: nutrient profile and significance for forming the physiological value of functional products

This article presents an analytical review of the literature on milk systems of animal and plant origin. Milk systems are considered as natural and biotechnological dispersed structures that combine proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and bioactive substances, providing high physiological and nutritional value. In the context of modern functional nutrition, they act as a universal technological platform for creating preventive and therapeutic health-promoting products. Particular attention is paid to hybrid systems that combine components of animal and plant origin, allowing for nutrient, antioxidant, and metabolically active compound synergy, which ensures an expanded range of physiological effects and increased bioavailability of key components. The aim of the work is to conduct an analytical review of the composition, structure, and functional properties of milk systems of animal and plant origin, as well as to determine directions for their integration into technologies of functional foods and nutraceuticals. The concept of the study is based on the principles of food system biodesign, implying the deliberate combination of natural matrices and biotechnological processes to achieve a targeted physiological effect. A systematic analysis method was applied to scientific publications, patent sources, and experimental data devoted to the chemical composition, fermentation, microencapsulation, and bioavailability of active components of milk systems. The results showed that animal milk is a source of easily digestible proteins and minerals, while plant analogues are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. Their combination ensures amino acid complementarity and enhances antioxidant potential. Fermentation and microencapsulation technologies are considered key tools for preserving probiotics and vitamins. This work contributes to the development of the concept of functional and sustainable nutrition, forming a scientific and practical basis for the creation of domestic functional beverages based on animal milk and milk derived from plant seeds of Kazakhstan.