Milk Fat Globule Membrane Supplementation in Formula-fed Rat Pups Improves Reflex Development and May Alter Brain Lipid Composition

Abstract

Human milk contains nutritional, immunoprotective and developmental components that support optimal infant growth and development. The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is one unique component, comprised of a tri-layer of polar lipids, glycolipids, and proteins, that may be important for brain development. MFGM is not present in most infant formulas. We tested the effects of bovine MFGM supplementation on reflex development and on brain lipid and metabolite composition in rats using the “pup in a cup” model. From postnatal d5 to d18, rats received either formula supplemented with MFGM or a standard formula without MFGM; a group of mother-reared animals was used as reference/control condition. Body and brain weights did not differ between groups. MFGM supplementation reduced the gap in maturation age between mother-reared and standard formula-fed groups for the ear and eyelid twitch, negative geotaxis and cliff avoidance reflexes. Statistically significant differences in brain phospholipid and metabolite composition were found at d13 and/or d18 between mother-reared and standard formula-fed groups, including a higher phosphatidylcholine:phosphatidylethanolamine ratio, and higher phosphatidylserine, glycerol-3 phosphate, and glutamine in mother-reared compared to formula-fed pups. Adding MFGM to formula narrowed these differences. Our study demonstrates that addition of bovine MFGM to formula promotes reflex development and alters brain phospholipid and metabolite composition. Changes in brain lipid metabolism and their potential functional implications for neurodevelopment need to be further investigated in future studies.

Evaluation of Dietary Bovine Milk Fat Globule Membrane Supplementation on Growth, Serum Cholesterol and Lipoproteins, and Neurodevelopment in the Young Pig

“…Absolute and relative concentrations of total cholesterol, free cholesterol, and cholesterol ester in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus did not differ between diet groups. Similar results were reported for brain lipid composition between mother-reared pups and pups receiving a formula without or with added dietary bMFGM (53). Brain lipids (including phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylcholine) in the group receiving bMFGM were more similar to the mother-reared group.…”

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

“…[ 10 ] In a recent study in China, a formula supplemented with MFGM and lactoferrin significantly increased cognitive, language, and motor scores at 1 year of age. [ 11 ] Prior studies on MFGM (using the same source as the current report) in rat pups showed altered brain lipid composition [ 25 ] and increased expression of genes involved in synaptogenesis and polysialic acid synthesis. [ 26 ] Note that improved cognition observed in these studies may not necessarily be due to increased circulating ketone bodies, as there are other bioactive ingredients contained within the isolated bovine MFGM fraction including sialic acid, gangliosides, sphingomyelin, and lactoferrin.…”

Breast Milk Lipids and Fatty Acids in Regulating Neonatal Intestinal Development and Protecting against Intestinal Injury

“…While researchers are still making efforts to understand the functionalities of MFGM, there are already commercialized products supplementing MFGMs from bovine milk cream. The effectiveness of supplementation of MFGM in formula has been demonstrated in several independent cellular and animal studies, and clinical trials [25][26][27][28]. In Bovine milk based infant formulas have attempted to closely mimic the lipid composition of naturally originated breast milk.…”