Bioactive Compounds in Infant Formula and Their Effects on Infant Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Infant formulas are an alternative to replace or supplement human milk when breastfeeding is not possible. The knowledge of human milk’s bioactive compounds and their beneficial effects has attracted the interest of researchers in the field of infant nutrition, as well as researchers of technology and food sciences that seek to improve the nutritional characteristics of infant formulas. Several scientific studies evaluate the optimization of infant formula composition. The bioactive compound inclusion has been used to upgrade the quality and nutrition of infant formulas. In this context, the purpose of this systematic literature review is to assess the scientific evidence of bioactive compounds present in infant formulas (α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, taurine, milk fat globule membrane, folates, polyamines, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, prebiotics, and probiotics) and their effects on infant nutrition and health. Through previously determined criteria, studies published in the last fifteen years from five different databases were included to identify the advances in the optimization of infant formula composition. Over the last few years, there has been optimization of the infant formula composition, not only to increase the similarities in their content of macro and micronutrients but also to include novel bioactive ingredients with potential health benefits for infants. Although the infant food industry has advanced in the last years, there is no consensus on whether novel bioactive ingredients added to infant formulas have the same functional effects as the compounds found in human milk. Thus, further studies about the impact of bioactive compounds in infant nutrition are fundamental to infant health.

Evaluation of 2’-Fucosyllactose and Bifidobacterium longum Subspecies infantis on Growth, Organ Weights, and Intestinal Development of Piglets

“…The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life [ 55 ], however; only a quarter of infants in the US meet this goal [ 56 ]. Thus, there is a desire to improve the composition of infant formula in order to narrow the differences in microbial diversity, gut health and immune outcomes between breast and formula-fed infants, and oligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium have been identified as prime candidates [ 57 , 58 , 59 ]. In summary, this study demonstrates that the addition of 2’-FL and/or Bi-26 is well tolerated in piglets.…”

Folic acid, either solely or combined with L‐citrulline, improves NO signaling and ameliorates chronic hypoxia‐induced pulmonary hypertension in newborn pigs

“…Moreover, human infants receive folic acid from their diets. This is because human mothers receive folate in their diet such that human milk contains approximately 85–123 micrograms folate/liter and because folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, is added to formulas to simulate the concentration in human milk (Almeida et al, 2021 ; Hanson et al, 2012 ; Lamers, 2011 ). It has been estimated that human milk‐fed infants receive approximately 66 micrograms of folate per day (Lamers, 2011 ).…”

Differences in Polyamine Content between Human Milk and Infant Formulas

“…Their role in the first years of life, in both the neonatal and infant stages, is important, as they promote the maturation of the gastrointestinal tract and help to maintain the integrity of the intestinal mucosa [26][27][28]. In this way, these compounds reduce intestinal mucosal permeability and the passage of antigenic macromolecules from the lumen to the blood circulation, thus reducing the risk of allergy in the infant [7,29,30]. Additionally, polyamines are involved in the development of the immune system and modulate the inflammatory response [28,29,31].…”