Microbiota, metabolic profiles and immune biomarkers in infants receiving formula with added bovine milk fat globule membrane: a randomized, controlled trial

Chloe Christensen; Car Reen Kok; Cheryl L Harris; Nancy Moore; Jennifer L Wampler; Weihong Zhuang; Steven S Wu; Robert Hutkins; Jacques Izard; Jennifer M Auchtung

doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1465174

Microbiota, metabolic profiles and immune biomarkers in infants receiving formula with added bovine milk fat globule membrane: a randomized, controlled trial

Front Nutr. 2024 Oct 4:11:1465174. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1465174. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Chloe Christensen^{1

2}, Car Reen Kok^{2

3}, Cheryl L Harris⁴, Nancy Moore⁴, Jennifer L Wampler⁴, Weihong Zhuang⁴, Steven S Wu^{4

5}, Robert Hutkins^{1

2}, Jacques Izard^{2

6

7

8}, Jennifer M Auchtung^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States.
² Nebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, United States.
³ Complex Biosystems, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States.
⁴ Medical Sciences, Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition Institute, Evansville, IN, United States.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.
⁷ Frederick F. Paustian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.
⁸ Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.

Abstract

Introduction: Few studies have evaluated the effects of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) on microbiota and immune markers in early infant nutrition.

Methods: In this double-blind randomized study, infants (7-18 days of age) received either bovine milk-based infant formula (Control) or similar formula with an added source (5 g/L) of bovine MFGM (INV-MFGM) for 60 days. A reference group received mother's own human milk over the same period (HM). Oral and stool samples were collected (Baseline and Day 60) to evaluate microbiota, immune markers, and metabolites.

Results: At Day 60, stool bacterial diversity and richness were higher in formula groups vs HM, as were Bifidobacterium bifidum and B. catenulatum abundance. Compared to HM, stool pH was higher in Control, while acetate, propionate, isovalerate, and total short- and branched-chain fatty acids were higher in INV-MFGM. Butyrate and lactate increased for INV-MFGM from baseline to Day 60. No group differences in oral microbiota or immune markers (α- and β-defensin, calprotectin, or sIgA) were detected, although sIgA increased over time in all study groups. Added bovine MFGM in infant formula modulated stool microbiota and short- and branched-chain fatty acids compared to human milk; changes were modest relative to control formula.

Discussion: Overall, distinct patterns of stool metabolites and microbiota development were observed based on early nutrition.

Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04059666.

Keywords: clinical trial; human milk; infant formula; microbiome; milk fat globule membrane; short chain fatty acids.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04059666

Grants and funding

The authors declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. CK was partially supported by a Nebraska Food for Health Center Fellowship and received additional support for Writing, Editing, and Analysis under the Auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. CC was partially supported by the Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.