Quantification of major milk oligosaccharides in a range of formulated milk powder products using high performance liquid chromatography-multi reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry

Research on commercial milk formulas for young children: A scoping review

A scoping review of publications about commercial milk formulas intended for or consumed by children 12-36 months (CMF 12-36) was conducted. This review aimed to comprehensively map the existing literature, identify key concepts in the field and understand its evolution through time. A total of 3329 articles were screened and 220 were included, published between 1986 and 2024. Most works were published after 2016 (70.0%) and in high-income countries (71.8%). Original studies were the vast majority (81.8%) of publications. Most publications dealt with feeding practices or analysed the composition and/or contamination of specific products (44.1% and 35.9%), but since the late 2000s, publications about marketing, policy, legislation, and consumer perception started to appear. Most published works (65.5%) did not focus exclusively on CMF 12-36 and included formulas for other demographics or other foods. About half of the works (55.5%) did not consider CMF 12-36 to be a breast milk substitute. We found 81 distinct product denominations used to refer to CMF 12-36, Growing Up Milk was the most common (25.9%). CMF industry was involved in 41.8% of all analysed works, and industry participation and funding were not always clearly informed (22.5% lacked a conflict of interest statement, and 25.5% did not present any information about funding). In the last decade, publications about CMF 12-36 have increased in volume and diversified in scope and subject matter. CMF-industry participation has always been and still is present in the field, so possible vested interests should be taken into account when appreciating the literature.

Evaluation of Prebiotic Glycan Composition in Human Milk and Infant Formula: Profile of Galacto-Oligosaccharides and Absolute Quantification of Major Milk Oligosaccharides by UPLC-Cyclic IM-MS and UPLC-MS/MS

Prebiotic oligosaccharides have attracted immense interest in the infant formula (IF) industry due to their unique health benefits for infants. There is a need for the reasonable supplementation of prebiotics in premium IF products. Herein, we characterized the profile of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) in human milk (HM) and IF using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-cyclic ion mobility-mass spectrometry (UPLC-cIM-MS) technique. Additionally, we further performed a targeted quantitative analysis of five essential HM oligosaccharides (HMOs) in HM (n = 196), IF (n = 50), and raw milk of IF (n = 10) by the high-sensitivity UPLC-MS/MS method. HM exhibited a more abundant and variable HMO composition (1183.19 to 2892.91 mg/L) than IF (32.91 to 56.31 mg/L), whereas IF contained extra GOS species and non-negligible endogenous 3'-sialyllactose. This also facilitated the discovery of secretor features within the Chinese population. Our study illustrated the real disparity in the prebiotic glycome between HM and IF and provided crucial reference for formula improvement.

Determination of Seven Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) in Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals: First Action 2022.07

BACKGROUND

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are important components of breast milk and may be responsible for some of the benefits of breastfeeding, including resistance to infections and the development of a healthy gut microbiota. Selected HMOs are now available for addition to infant formula, and suitable methods to control the dosing rate are needed.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a suitable method for the analysis of HMOs in infant formula.

METHOD

A method was developed for the determination of seven human milk oligosaccharides (2'-fucosyllactose, 3-fucosyllactose, 3'-sialyllactose, 6'-sialyllactose (6'SL), 2',3-difucosyllactose, lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT)) in infant formula and adult nutritionals. The oligosaccharides are labeled at their reducing end with 2-aminobenzamide, separated by liquid chromatography and detected using a fluorescence detector. Maltodextrins are enzymatically hydrolyzed before analysis to prevent potential interference; likewise, an optional β-galactosidase treatment can be used to remove β-galactooligosaccharides. Fructooligosaccharides or polydextrose do not generally interfere with the analysis.

RESULTS

The method has been validated in a single laboratory on infant formula and adult nutritionals. The seven HMOs were spiked into eight matrixes at three or four spike levels, giving a total of 176 data points. Recoveries were in the range of 90.9-109% in all cases except at the lowest spike level in one matrix (elemental formula), where the LNT recovery was 113%, the LNnT recovery was 111%, and the 6'SL recovery was 121%. Relative repeatabilities (RSD(r)) were in the range of 0.1-4.2%. The performance is generally within the requirements outlined in the Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPR®) published by AOAC INTERNATIONAL.

CONCLUSIONS

The method developed is suitable for the determination of seven HMOs in infant formula and demonstrated good performance during single-laboratory validation.

HIGHLIGHTS

A method has been developed that is suitable for the determination of seven HMOs in infant formula.

Recent approaches for the quantitative analysis of functional oligosaccharides used in the food industry: A review

Functional oligosaccharides (OS) are diverse groups of carbohydrates that confer several health benefits stemming from their prebiotic activity. Commonly used oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides and galactooligosaccharides, are used in a wide range of applications from food ingredients to mimic the prebiotic activity of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in infant formula to sugar and fat replacers in dairy and bakery products. However, while consumption of these compounds is associated with several positive health effects, increased consumption can cause intestinal discomfort and aggravation of intestinal bowel syndrome symptoms. Hence, it is essential to develop rapid and reliable techniques to quantify OS for quality control and proper assessment of their functionality in food and food products. The present review will focus on recent analytical techniques used to quantify OS in different matrices such as food and beverage products.