Dairy-Derived Emulsifiers in Infant Formula Show Marginal Effects on the Plasma Lipid Profile and Brain Structure in Preterm Piglets Relative to Soy Lecithin

Abstract

Breastfed infants have higher intestinal lipid absorption and neurodevelopmental outcomes compared to formula-fed infants, which may relate to a different surface layer structure of fat globules in infant formula. This study investigated if dairy-derived emulsifiers increased lipid absorption and neurodevelopment relative to soy lecithin in newborn preterm piglets. Piglets received a formula diet containing soy lecithin (SL) or whey protein concentrate enriched in extracellular vesicles (WPC-A-EV) or phospholipids (WPC-PL) for 19 days. Both WPC-A-EV and WPC-PL emulsions, but not the intact diets, increased in vitro lipolysis compared to SL. The main differences of plasma lipidomics analysis were increased levels of some sphingolipids, and lipid molecules with odd-chain (17:1, 19:1, 19:3) as well as mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains (16:1, 20:1, 20:3) in the WPC-A-EV and WPC-PL groups and increased 18:2 fatty acyls in the SL group. Indirect monitoring of intestinal triacylglycerol absorption showed no differences between groups. Diffusor tensor imaging measurements of mean diffusivity in the hippocampus were lower for WPC-A-EV and WPC-PL groups compared to SL indicating improved hippocampal maturation. No differences in hippocampal lipid composition or short-term memory were observed between groups. In conclusion, emulsification of fat globules in infant formula with dairy-derived emulsifiers altered the plasma lipid profile and hippocampal tissue diffusivity but had limited effects on other absorptive and learning abilities relative to SL in preterm piglets.

Beneficial Effects of Bovine Milk Exosomes in Metabolic Interorgan Cross-Talk

“…Different breast milk components might contribute to brain development and cognitive function [ 194 , 195 ]. Preclinical evidence suggests that milk exosomes and their cargos cross the brain-blood barrier and accumulate in the brain following oral intake [ 87 , 196 ]. On this subject, the depletion of dietary bovine milk exosomes was reported to impair cognitive performance in C57BL/6 mice compared to an exosome-sufficient diet [ 197 ].…”

“…Accordingly, numerous miRNAs contained in milk exosomes, such as miR-148a, miR-141-3p, miR-375, and miR-107, might be involved in nervous system pathways and brain development [ 199 , 200 ]. However, sphingomyelin and other phospholipids present in milk exosomes have been demonstrated to promote neurodevelopment in preclinical research and clinical studies [ 196 ]. Furthermore, miRNAs targeting glycosphingolipid biosynthesis pathways were shown to be highly expressed in preterm breast milk, which has a major role in brain development [ 201 ].…”

Insulin-like growth factor 1 supplementation supports motor coordination and affects myelination in preterm pigs

“…On PND16 the animals were tested in a novel object recognition setup as previously described to evaluate short-term memory and exploratory behavior ( Henriksen et al, 2021 ). In short, the trial consisted of three phases each taking 5 min: Familiarization phase, resting phase, and a test phase.…”

Brain lipidomics and neurodevelopmental outcomes in intrauterine growth restricted piglets fed dairy or vegetable fat diets

“…Piglets were randomly assigned to and housed individually in cages equipped with a soft mat, an infrared heat source and cloth and ball for environmental enrichment. Body weight was recorded and clinical and feces scores were assigned daily 19 . On day 2, all piglets were treated prophylactically against coccidiosis with toltrazuril (Baycoxine Vet, 50 mg/ml, 0.4 ml/kg, Bayer Animal Health GmbH, Leverkusen, Germany).…”