Free Amino Acid Content in Standard Infant Formulas: Comparison with Human Milk

Agostoni, Carlo; Carratù, Brunella; Boniglia, Concetta; Riva, Enrica; Sanzini, Elisabetta

doi:10.1080/07315724.2000.10718943

Cited by 135 publications

(123 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…While glutamic acid and taurine are the two most abundant FAAs in human milk, accounting for more than 55% of total FAA, free taurine alone accounts for half the FAA in infant formula, and glutamic acid is third on the list. Similar results have been found by others (Agostoni et al, 2000;Ferreira, 2003). It has been suggested that these differences in glutamic acid, glutamine, and taurine may contribute to differences in enteral mucosa protection, neurotransmitters, and nitrogen supply in infant-fed infants (Windmueller, 1982;Chesney et al, 1998;Agostoni et al, 2000).…”

Section: Essential Vs Nonessential Amino Acidssupporting

confidence: 77%

Negative effect of heat sterilization on the free amino acid concentrations in infant formula

et al. 2005

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Infant formulas are often heat sterilized in hospitals where water contamination or nosocomial infection is a concern, but there are few studies of the effect of high heat on the nutritional value of infant formula. In particular, the effect of heat sterilization on free amino acid (FAA) concentrations is seldom discussed. In view of the importance of these nutrients for infant growth, we investigated the FAA concentrations of infant formula after heat sterilization. Powdered infant formulas were reconstituted with hot water (801C) in glass bottles and placed in an autoclave for 5 min at 1051C and 5600 kg/m 2 of pressure. Additional samples of formula were prepared by conventional methods to serve as controls. After autoclaving, we measured the FAA concentrations with ion exchange chromatography. The results were compared with those obtained after conventional preparation. We found a 19.5% lower amount of total protein after autoclaving compared with conventional preparation. Concentrations of total FAA were significantly lower after autoclaving (696.57101.4 vs 899.47152.2 mmol/l, P ¼ 0.01). The concentrations of individual amino acids were also lower in autoclaved infant formulas, with differences ranging from À4.1 to 71.5% (mean 22.6%). Concentrations of certain amino acids were more than 30% lower, such as valine (71.5%), citrulline (61.1%), glutamine (60.6%), ethanolamine (54%), and lysine (39.2%). Both essential and nonessential amino acids were similarly affected by autoclaving, 28.17 and 27.13%, respectively, lower than in controls (P ¼ 0.37). The concentration of ammonia was significantly higher after autoclaving (645.2776.2 vs 393.27140.7 mmol/l, P ¼ 0.0003). However, the urea level was significantly lower after autoclaving than after conventional preparation (1110.87162.7 vs 1426.57209.5 mmol/l, P ¼ 0.0004). The accumulation of ammonia may reflect degradation of protein and amino acids. Autoclaving clearly results in decreased concentrations of FAA in infant formula. The increased concentration of ammonia after autoclaving is of concern if it leads to deleterious effects.

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Section: Essential Vs Nonessential Amino Acidssupporting

confidence: 77%

Negative effect of heat sterilization on the free amino acid concentrations in infant formula

et al. 2005

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“…Free amino acids are constituents of the socalled nonprotein nitrogen fraction of human milk (Rudloff and Kunz, 1997;Agostoni et al, 2000). The total amount of free amino acids is around 3 mmol/l plasma with great variations (association with the nutritional behavior of the mother).…”

Section: Central Nervous Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The total amount of free amino acids is around 3 mmol/l plasma with great variations (association with the nutritional behavior of the mother). GLU, glutamine and taurine are the prevalent amino acids accounting for around 50% of total free amino acids (Agostoni et al, 2000;Ramirez et al, 2001). Actual analyses of free GLU in milk samples of mothers delivered on time revealed 8277342 mmol/l for transitional milk and 8687462 mmol/l for mature milk (Meinardus et al, 2004;Jochum et al, 2006).…”

Section: Central Nervous Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The role of free amino acids in breast milk is still under debate. It is, however, speculated that especially free GLU and glutamine might have a double role of protecting the intestinal growth while supplying functional substrates to the nervous tissue (Agostoni et al, 2000;Jochum et al, 2006). Consequently, the intake of free GLU in suckling babies is seen as a useful physiological support of growth and metabolic development.…”

Section: Central Nervous Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Consensus meeting: monosodium glutamate – an update

et al. 2006

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Objective: Update of the Hohenheim consensus on monosodium glutamate from 1997: Summary and evaluation of recent knowledge with respect to physiology and safety of monosodium glutamate. Design: Experts from a range of relevant disciplines received and considered a series of questions related to aspects of the topic. Setting: University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. Method: The experts met and discussed the questions and arrived at a consensus. Conclusion: Total intake of glutamate from food in European countries is generally stable and ranged from 5 to 12 g/day (free: ca. 1 g, protein-bound: ca. 10 g, added as flavor: ca. 0.4 g). L-Glutamate (GLU) from all sources is mainly used as energy fuel in enterocytes. A maximum intake of 16.000 mg/kg body weight is regarded as safe. The general use of glutamate salts (monosodium-L-glutamate and others) as food additive can, thus, be regarded as harmless for the whole population. Even in unphysiologically high doses GLU will not trespass into fetal circulation. Further research work should, however, be done concerning the effects of high doses of a bolus supply at presence of an impaired blood brain barrier function. In situations with decreased appetite (e.g., elderly persons) palatability can be improved by low dose use of monosodium-L-glutamate.

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“…Ingestion of small peptides has been found to appear in plasma more rapidly and uniformly as compared to free amino acids using the same amino-acid pattern (Svangerb et al, 1977). HM only contains about 5% free amino acids (Rerat, 1995) mainly as glutamic acid and taurine (Pamblanco et al, 1989;Agostini et al, 2000), and therefore departure from the HM model by adding free amino acids to formula requires careful consideration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

α-Lactalbumin-rich infant formula fed to healthy term infants in a multicenter study: plasma essential amino acids and gastrointestinal tolerance

Davis¹,

Harris²,

Lien

et al. 2007

Eur J Clin Nutr

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Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an a-lactalbumin-enriched formula with a protein profile and total protein concentration closer to human milk (HM) and lower than conventional formulas. Subjects/methods: Two hundred and sixteen healthy, term infants, p14 days post-natal age were enrolled and 166 (76.9%) completed the study. Timed post-prandial plasma essential amino-acid levels were determined after 8 weeks of ad libitum study feeding. Study events were assessed every 2 weeks. Results: At 8 weeks, all mean plasma essential amino-acid levels in the experimental formula (EF) group were as high as the standard formula (SF) and HM groups. The incidence of feeding-related gastrointestinal (GI) events varied significantly (P ¼ 0.025) across groups: SF (31.3%), EF (17.2%) and HM (13.6%), with SF being significantly higher than HM (P ¼ 0.015). Study withdrawals due to feeding-related GI events were significantly different (P ¼ 0.001) across groups: SF (12.5%), EF (4.7%), and HM (0%). The timing of GI events was also significantly different across groups (P ¼ 0.010). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that feeding a higher quality, lower protein concentration formula (a-lactalbuminenriched) met all essential amino acid and protein requirements of infants. The GI tolerance profile of infants receiving the EF was similar to HM-fed infants.

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Free Amino Acid Content in Standard Infant Formulas: Comparison with Human Milk

Abstract: Breastfed infants are supplied with FAA, mainly glutamic acid and glutamine, compared to formula-fed counterparts. The different FAA intake might be the origin of some functional differences at the enteral level between breast- and formula-fed infants.

Cited by 135 publications

References 21 publications

Negative effect of heat sterilization on the free amino acid concentrations in infant formula

Negative effect of heat sterilization on the free amino acid concentrations in infant formula

Consensus meeting: monosodium glutamate – an update

α-Lactalbumin-rich infant formula fed to healthy term infants in a multicenter study: plasma essential amino acids and gastrointestinal tolerance

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