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Structured Triacylglycerol with Optimal Arachidonic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid Content for Infant Formula

Luis Vázquez¹, Blanca Pardo de Donlebún², Alejandra Gutiérrez-Guibelalde¹

¹Department of Production and Characterization of Novel Foods, Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL, CSIC-UAM), C/Nicolas Cabrera 9, Cantoblanco Campus, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.

Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

|September 14, 2024

Insights

This study developed an optimal method for producing triacylglycerols (TAGs) with a 2:1 ratio of arachidonic acid (ARA) to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for preterm infant nutrition. Enzymatic acidolysis demonstrated superior ARA:DHA enrichment at the sn-2 position and enhanced bio-accessibility.

Area of Science:

Nutritional Biochemistry
Lipid Chemistry
Infant Nutrition

Background:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), specifically arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are crucial for fetal and early childhood brain development.
Premature infants often struggle to acquire adequate ARA and DHA from maternal sources.
A 2:1 weight ratio of ARA:DHA in triacylglycerols (TAGs) is considered optimal for preterm infant formulas.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and optimize methods for producing TAGs with a specific 2:1 ARA:DHA ratio.
To enhance the bioavailability of ARA and DHA by enriching the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone.
To compare the developed TAGs with commercial infant formula (Formulaid™) regarding ARA:DHA ratio and sn-2 composition.

Main Methods:

Enzymatic acidolysis and blending of microalgae oil (DHA-rich) and ARA-rich oil were employed to produce TAGs.
Optimization of enzymatic acidolysis involved varying temperature, substrate molar ratio, lipase concentration, and reaction time.
In vitro digestion assays were performed to assess the bio-accessibility of the final product.

Main Results:

Both blending and enzymatic acidolysis achieved the target 2:1 ARA:DHA ratio.
Enzymatic acidolysis significantly enhanced the sn-2 composition of ARA and DHA (2.3) compared to blending (1.6) and Formulaid™ (0.9).
The optimized acidolysis process yielded a product with 75.5% bio-accessibility, including monoacylglycerols, free fatty acids, TAGs, and diacylglycerols, demonstrating superior digestion compared to precursor oils.

Conclusions:

Enzymatic acidolysis using *Candida antarctica* lipase is a reproducible, scalable, and effective method for producing TAGs with an optimal 2:1 ARA:DHA ratio and enhanced sn-2 positioning.
The developed TAGs exhibit improved bio-accessibility, making them a promising nutritional supplement for preterm infants.
The lipase used in the process demonstrated reusability, adding to the economic viability of the method.

Read full analysis

Abstract:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are extremely important fatty acids for brain development in the fetus and early childhood. Premature infants face challenges obtaining these two fatty acids from their mothers. It has been reported that supplementation with triacylglycerols (TAGs) with an ARA:DHA (w/w) ratio of 2:1 may be optimal for preterm infants, as presented in commercial formulas such as Formulaid™. This study explored methods to produce TAGs with a 2:1 ratio (ARA:DHA), particularly at the more bioavailable sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone. Blending and enzymatic acidolysis of microalgae oil (rich in DHA) and ARA-rich oil yielded products with the desired ARA:DHA ratio, enhancing sn-2 composition compared to Formulaid™ (1.6 for blending and 2.3 for acidolysis versus 0.9 in Formulaid™). Optimal acidolysis conditions were 45 °C, a 1:3 substrate molar ratio, 10% Candida antarctica lipase, and 4 h. The process was reproducible, and scalable, and the lipase could be reused. In vitro digestion showed that 75.5% of the final product mixture was bio-accessible, comprising 19.1% monoacylglycerols, ~50% free fatty acids, 14.6% TAGs, and 10.1% diacylglycerols, indicating better bio-accessibility than precursor oils.

Keywords:

acidolysis arachidonic acid bio-accessibility bronchopulmonary dysplasia docosahexaenoic acid infant formula lipase premature infant

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