High-Temperature Short-Time Preserves Human Milk's Bioactive Proteins and Their Function Better Than Pasteurization...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biochemistry
• Microbiology

Background:

• Donor human milk is typically pasteurized using Holder pasteurization (HoP) at 62.5°C for 30 minutes to eliminate pathogens.
• HoP, while effective for safety, can degrade essential bioactive components in human milk.
• Extended heating times during pasteurization may further compromise the nutritional and functional properties of donor milk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate High-Temperature-Short-Time (HTST) pasteurization as an alternative to HoP for donor human milk.
• To compare the impact of HoP and HTST on the levels and functionality of key bioactive proteins: immunoglobulin A, lactoferrin, lysozyme, and bile salt-stimulated lipase.
• To assess the pasteurization efficacy of different methods using an alkaline phosphatase test.

Main Methods:

• Pooled donor human milk samples were subjected to HoP and HTST treatments.
• Proteomic analysis using LC-MS/MS was employed to quantify protein levels.
• Enzyme activity assays were conducted to assess the functionality of specific bioactive components.
• Alkaline phosphatase testing was used to confirm pasteurization efficacy.

Main Results:

• HoP resulted in a significant reduction of bioactive proteins (50-98%).
• HTST processing retained higher levels of heat-sensitive proteins like lactoferrin and bile salt-stimulated lipase compared to HoP.
• Despite improvements with HTST, significant reductions in lactoferrin (52%) and bile salt-stimulated lipase activity (81%) were still observed compared to untreated milk.
• Pasteurization efficacy was maintained across tested methods.

Conclusions:

• HTST pasteurization offers a potential method to reduce thermal damage to bioactive proteins in donor human milk compared to HoP.
• Shorter processing times in HTST may preserve more functional milk components.
• Findings provide valuable information for optimizing donor milk processing in milk banks globally, potentially improving the quality of pasteurized donor milk.