DHA bioaccessibility in infant formulas and preschool children milks

Food Res Int. 2021 Nov:149:110698. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110698. Epub 2021 Sep 3.

Abstract

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) is an essential long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid associated with the development of the nervous system that has to be consumed by infants through breast milk or complementary food sources and which consumption is also usually inadequate in preschoolers. In this work, the in vitro bioaccessibility of DHA from two commercial infant formulas (8.9 and 9.1%) and two preschool children milks (6.9 and 7.2%), with similar DHA contents but formulated with different ingredients, was not improved by the presence of egg phospholipids in the product formulation. In addition, the importance of the choice of an age-appropriate in vitro digestion method was demonstrated by comparing the DHA bioaccessibility from the infant formulas by the Infogest 2.0 standardized method and a simulated digestion method specific for infants.

Keywords: Bioacessibility; DHA; Fatty acids; Food analysis; In vitro digestion; Infant formula; Preschool children milk.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids*
  • Fatty Acids
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Formula*
  • Milk, Human

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids