New human milk fat substitutes from butterfat to improve fat absorption

• Published in: Food research international Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 739 - 744
• Main Authors: Li, Yanqi, Mu, Huiling, Andersen, Jens Enevold Thaulov, Xu, Xuebing, Meyer, Otto, Orngreen, Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier 01.04.2010
• Subjects: animal models; Biological and medical sciences; calcium; dietary minerals; fat substitutes; feces; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; human milk fat; intestinal absorption; long chain fatty acids; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; milk fat; mineral content; mineral metabolism; Mother. Fetoplacental unit. Mammary gland. Milk; nutrient availability; polyunsaturated fatty acids; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; rats; Vertebrates: reproduction; Human milk fat substitute (HMFS); Long chain; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Lipids; Minerals; Inorganic element; Butterfat; LCPUFA; Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; Absorption; Fat substitute; Milk substitute; Human milk; Fat; Milk fat
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2009.11.006

A new human milk fat substitute (HMFS) was produced from butterfat. A 2-week’s feeding experiment was performed using three groups of rats with 10 wt.% fat in their feed; the fat was either (1) butterfat-based HMFS + long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), (2) the reference oil + LCPUFA, or (3) the reference oil without LCPUFA. The apparent fat absorption after intake of butterfat-based HMFS (95.9% ± 1.8%) was significantly higher than the other two groups, indicating that much less calcium soap was formed after feeding butterfat-based HMFS. Calcium contents in urines and faeces from the two groups fed LCPUFA in their diet were lower than those without supplementation of LCPUFA, suggesting that LCPUFA could improve calcium absorption by reducing the calcium excretion. It can thus be concluded that the butterfat-based HMFS improves fat absorption, and supplementation of LCPUFA in the formula improves calcium absorption.