An insight into the interfacial composition and susceptibility to digestion of model infant formulas stabilized by milk polar lipids
Résumé
The interfacial quality of emulsions impacts their digestibility. Infant formulas are stabilized by milk proteins and non-dairy tensioactives whereas Human milk is stabilized by a native membrane based on Milk Polar Lipids (MPL) and proteins. The addition of MPL in infant formulas seems a clever approach to closely mimic Human milk natural interface although very few infant formulas use milk lipids more expensive than vegetable lipids. The interfacial composition of such emulsion has never been characterized nor its effect on emulsion digestibility. Our study aimed at elucidating these two points. Two model emulsions with similar droplets size (mode=2 µm, specific surface~15 m2/g of lipids) and based on a blend of vegetable fats (3 g/100 g) were produced at labscale: the emulsions were stabilized by MPL and milk proteins (molar ratio=1:1); MPL were introduced before homogenization in emulsion MPL1 to favour their interfacial contribution whereas MPL were introduced after homogenization in emulsion PROT1. The emulsions structures and interfacial compositions were characterized by laser granulometry, confocal laser scanning microscopy and high performance liquid chromatography. The emulsions were then digested using a dynamic in vitro model of neonatal digestion [1,2]. The interface of MPL1 contained 0.32 % of total MPL/m2 of emulsion surface area whereas only 0.06-0.12 % of total MPL/m2 occupied the interface of PROT1. No selectivity in the adsorption of MPL was reported. The protein interfacial coverage was twice lower in MPL1. For both emulsions a selective adsorption of caseins (α-s and β in particular) was observed. The digestive desintegration and kinetics of lipolysis and proteolysis of the emulsions in the gastric phase were affected by these interfacial differences: the structure of MPL1 was more stable and its hydrolysis slightly slower.