Milk Fat Globule Membrane as a Modulator of Infant Metabolism and Gut Microbiota: A Formula Supplement Narrowing the Metabolic Differences between Breastfed and Formula‐Fed Infants

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research 2021-02, Vol.65 (3), p.e2000603-n/a
• Main Authors: Lee, Hanna, Slupsky, Carolyn M., Heckmann, Anne B., Christensen, Britt, Peng, Yongmei, Li, Xiaonan, Hernell, Olle, Lönnerdal, Bo, Li, Zailing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acids; Animal fat; Babies; Baby foods; Breastfeeding & lactation; breastmilk; Cognitive ability; Fatty acids; Fecal microflora; Gene sequencing; Immunology; infant formula; Infant formulas; Infants; Intestinal microflora; Ketogenesis; ketone; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Membranes; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Milk; milk fat globule membrane; Milk fat globule membranes; NMR; NMR spectroscopy; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Oxidation; Proteins; rRNA 16S; Supplements; Whey; Whey protein
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202000603

Scope Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is an important component of milk that has previously been removed in the manufacture of infant formulas, but has recently gained attention owing to its potential to improve immunological, cognitive, and metabolic health. The goal of this study is to determine whether supplementing MFGM in infant formula would drive desirable changes in metabolism and gut microbiota to elicit benefits observed in prior studies. Methods and Results The serum metabolome and fecal microbiota are analyzed using 1H NMR spectroscopy and 16S rRNA gene sequencing respectively in a cohort of Chinese infants given a standard formula or a formula supplemented with an MFGM‐enriched whey protein fraction. Supplementing MFGM suppressed protein degradation pathways and the levels of insulinogenic amino acids that are typically enhanced in formula‐fed infants while facilitating fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis, a feature that may favor brain development. MFGM supplementation did not induce significant compositional changes in the fecal microbiota but suppressed microbial diversity and altered microbiota‐associated metabolites. Conclusion Supplementing MFGM in a formula reduced some metabolic gaps between formula‐fed and breastfed infants. Supplementing infant formula with a bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) fraction altered serum metabolomic profiles of formula‐fed infants toward what is typically observed in breastfed infants. Notably, branched‐chain amino acids are lowered, and metabolites associated with fatty acid oxidation as well as microbiota‐related metabolites are increased in serum relative to infants provided formula not containing MFGM.