Optimal sphingomyelin extraction for improved infant formula.

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC) is a source of valuable phospholipids.
• Sphingomyelin (SM) is a key phospholipid with significant health benefits.
• Current extraction methods for SM may not be sustainable or efficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop green and efficient extraction methods for sphingomyelin (SM).
• To optimize the purification of SM and phospholipids (PL) from WPPC.
• To create infant formula phospholipid ingredients (IFPI) that mimic human milk composition.

Main Methods:

• Developed two green extraction pathways for SM using ethanol and either cooling crystallization or supercritical fluid extraction.
• Systematically optimized extraction parameters including ethanol concentration, temperature, and solid-to-liquid ratio.
• Formulated two IFPI by blending SM-enriched extracts with other phospholipids to match Chinese human milk profiles.

Main Results:

• Achieved two SM-enriched extracts (ECSM and SESM) with SM content over 51% of total PL.
• Developed IFPI1 and IFPI2 with high similarity scores (92.17% and 92.38%) to mature Chinese human milk.
• Demonstrated the efficacy of the developed methods for producing high-quality lipid ingredients.

Conclusions:

• The developed green extraction methods are efficient and sustainable for SM isolation.
• The study provides a viable strategy for enhancing infant formula lipid nutrition.
• This research supports precise and localized nutritional formulation in infant nutrition products.