Introduction: Mare’s milk and traditional Mongolian airag constitute a distinctive Eurasian fermented dairy ecosystem shaped by centuries of nomadic practice and characterized by complex multispecies microbial consortia. This system harbors diverse lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and fermentative yeasts capable of producing a wide spectrum of bioactive metabolites, including organic acids, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriocins, and antioxidant compounds.
Such properties position airag as a promising source of next-generation probiotic and synbiotic formulations.
However, despite long-standing microbiological and biochemical investigations, critical gaps remain in defining the stable core microbiota, elucidating functional metabolic interactions, and translating traditional fermentation systems into standardized industrial platforms. Variability in raw materials, seasonal conditions, and spontaneous fermentation dynamics continues to limit reproducibility and large-scale application. Recent advances in genomics, metabolomics, and fermentation engineering now enable systematic characterization of strain-level diversity, functional pathways, and interspecies interactions, providing a scientific basis for rational consortium design. Methods: This review synthesizes historical and contemporary evidence on the microbiological diversity, biochemical composition, and functional potential of mare’s milk–derived fermentations, while identifying technological barriers to strain stabilization, encapsulation, and scalable production. We propose an integrated framework combining omics driven strain selection, targeted prebiotic matrices, and advanced microencapsulation technologies to establish a standardized synbiotic platform derived from Mongolian fermented dairy systems. Conclusion Such an approach could transform a traditional nutritional resource into a reproducible, high-value functional food technology, strengthening scientific validation of indigenous fermentation practices while supporting innovation, biotechnology development, and export-oriented functional nutrition.