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Effect of evaporation and pasteurization in the biochemical and immunological composition of human milk
Lucylea P M Braga1, Durval B Palhares
1Universidade para o Desenvolvimento do Estado e da Região do Pantanal (UNIDERP), Campo Grande, MS, Brazil. mullerlb@terra.com.br
Objective:
To assess the effects of evaporation and pasteurization of human milk on its biochemical and immunological composition and on its osmolarity.
Methods:
The samples of mature human milk were categorized into four study groups: in natura human milk, pasteurized human milk, human milk evaporated at 70% of the baseline volume and human milk pasteurized and evaporated at 70%, with 12 different samples of milk in each group. The samples were used to determine the concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, protein, fat, lactose, immunoglobulin A and osmolarity.
Results:
The pasteurization of human milk did not show statistically significant changes in the concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, protein, fat, lactose, or in osmolarity; however, it showed remarkable reduction in the mean concentration of immunoglobulin A. Evaporation had a mean increase of 38% in the concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, protein, fat and lactose and mean reduction of 45% in the concentration of immunoglobulin A, without significant change in osmolarity in unprocessed milk.
Conclusion:
By evaporation at 70% of the baseline value of human milk, it is possible to obtain human milk that meets the nutritional requirements recommended for preterm infants, except for calcium and phosphorus.
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