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ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between macronutrient intake and sleep quality， the current sleep quality of pregnant women from ten cities in China was investigated.MethodsMultistage stratified sampling was used to investigate the nutrient intake and sleep quality of 863 pregnant women in ten Chinese cities. Twenty-four dietary intake， sleep quality， perinatal depression， and other information was obtained using physical measurements and a questionnaire. Logistic and multiple linear regression models were used to explore the relationship between macronutrient intake and sleep quality.ResultsThe prevalence of poor sleep quality among pregnant women was 46.12%； pregnant women who were in the third trimester， who had depression， were currently unemployed， passively smoked during pregnancy， and had a history of previous alcohol consumption， demonstrated a higher levels of poor sleep quality （P

IntroductionBrain development during infancy is crucial for later health and development. Although Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) has been demonstrated to enhance brain development, further investigation is needed to determine the optimal dose.MethodsIn this study, 80 piglets aged 2 days were randomly assigned to four groups: Control group, MFGM-L (1.74 g MFGM per 100 g diet), MFGM-M (4.64 g MFGM per 100 g diet), and MFGM-H (6.09 g MFGM per 100 g diet). Daily body weight and milk intake of the piglets were recorded until 31 days postnatal. Learning and memory abilities were evaluated using the spatial T-maze test on day 15. MRI analysis was conducted to assess functional and structural changes in brain tissues. Additionally, mRNA and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NTF-3) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were evaluated.ResultsThe results indicated that the MFGM supplemented diet significantly improved the accuracy of the piglets in the T-maze test, with the MFGM-L group exhibiting the best performance. MRI showed no volumetric differences in the gray and white matter between the groups. However, the fractional anisotropy in the left and right hippocampus of piglets in the MFGM-L group was significantly higher than in the other three groups. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between the accuracy of the T-maze test and hippocampal fractional anisotropy.DiscussionThe MFGM supplemented diet also increased the expression of BDNF in the cerebral cortex. However, the changes in BDNF were not consistent with the results of the T-maze test. In conclusion, adding 1.74 g MFGM per 100 g diet can significantly improve neonatal piglets’ learning and memory abilities, potentially by enhancing the connection of white matter fiber bundles in the brain.

This review critically evaluates current in vitro gastrointestinal models for assessing infant formulas from a perspective focusing on a process along digestion, absorption and microbial fermentation. Despite their potential, none of the current in vitro gastrointestinal models fully considers the dynamics and continuous upstream‐downstream process of the human digestive tract. Considering the substantial differences between infants and adults, there is a pressing need for whole‐process gastrointestinal models tailored to infants. Developing such models is crucial for accurately assessing infant formula nutritional value and physiological function, enhancing the formulation of infant formulas to better meet the needs of infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human milk is universally regarded as the gold standard to fulfill nutrition needs of infants. Lactoferrin (LF) is a major multiple bioactive glycoprotein in human milk but little is presented in infant formula. LF can resist digestion in the infant gastrointestinal tract and is absorbed into the bloodstream in an intact form to perform physiological functions. Evidence suggest that LF prevents pathogen infection, promotes immune system development, intestinal development, brain development and bone health, as well as ameliorates iron deficiency anemia. However, more clinical studies of LF need to be further elucidated to determine an appropriate dosage for application in infant formula. LF is sensitive to denaturation induced by processing of infant formula such as heat treatments and spay drying. Thus, further studies should be focus on maximizing the retention of LF activity in the infant formula process. This review summarizes the structural features of LF. Then the digestion, absorption and metabolism of LF in infants are discussed, followed by the function of LF for infants. Further, we summarize LF in infant formula and effects of processing of infant formula on bioactivities of LF, as well as future perspectives of LF research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Proteins in breast milk play an important role in the growth and development of infants. This study aims to explore the correlation between functional proteins in breast milk and the infant gut microbiota. Methods: Twenty-three mothers and their infants were enrolled and breast milk samples and infant fecal samples were collected. Breast milk protein content was determined by UPLC-MS/MS, and 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to analyze the gut microbiota of infant. Results: The results indicated that the secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) content in breast milk was positively correlated with the abundance of Veillonella parvula. The κ-casein content was positively correlated with the abundance of Clostridium butyricum. The osteopontin (OPN) and lactalbumin contents were positively correlated with the abundance of Parabacteroides distasonis at 42 days. Functional pathway analysis showed that the OPN and κ-casein contents in breast milk were significantly correlated with amino acid, pyruvate, propionic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid metabolic pathways in early life. Discussion: The results of this study suggest that specific proteins in breast milk can influence the abundance of certain gut microbes in infants, playing an important role in early immune and metabolic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aims: Traditional Chinese customs practicing in postpartum yield mixed results on maternal health. The objectives of this study are 1) to depict the postpartum customs in Chinese lactating women in varied areas and 2) to explore its effects on dietary intake. Method: This study is part of the "YI" study; data of 974 lactating women from ten cities of China were used. Food intake frequencies in the past month were assessed with the Food Frequency Questionnaire. The 24-h dietary recall was used to estimate nutrient intake and assess dietary diversity. Participants were also required to report in detail those traditional customs which they had practiced in postpartum, and word clouds were drawn according to the report frequencies of certain customs. Results: In total, 49.9% of women practiced certain traditional customs in postpartum. A total of 159 customs were recorded, including 130 dietary customs. The most frequently reported customs included "avoid eating cold food" (n = 164), "no spicy food" (n = 121) and "avoiding food influencing breast milk secretion" (n = 42). The dietary diversity was not associated with practicing postpartum customs; however, women with customs had significantly higher intake frequencies of potato and yam, seaweed, fruits, livestock meat and other dairy products, yet a lower intake frequency of dark green vegetables. For nutrient intake, women who practicing certain practices were observed to have a significantly higher intake of energy, protein, carbohydrate, niacin, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. Results: In total, 49.9% of women practiced certain traditional customs in postpartum. A total of 159 customs were recorded, including 130 dietary customs. The most frequently reported customs included "avoid eating cold food" (n = 164), "no spicy food" (n = 121) and "avoiding food influencing breast milk secretion" (n = 42). The dietary diversity was not associated with practicing postpartum customs; however, women with customs had significantly higher intake frequencies of potato and yam, seaweed, fruits, livestock meat and other dairy products, yet a lower intake frequency of dark green vegetables. For nutrient intake, women who practicing certain practices were observed to have a significantly higher intake of energy, protein, carbohydrate, niacin, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) has become a global major public health problem. Chronic low-grade inflammation associated with diet was found to play an import role in the development of MetS, although further studies are needed. The main purpose of this study was to explore the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII), C-reactive protein (CRP) as a sign of inflammation status, and MetS. A total of 1712 participants from eight cities in China were included. Sociodemographic and health-related information was collected by a self-administrated questionnaire. Anthropometric information and fasting blood samples were collected for identification of MetS. DII scores were computed based on one time 24-h dietary recall. No significant association between MetS and DII was observed except for the blood pressure component of MetS (OR T3 versus T1 = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.89). A significant increased prevalence for MetS was observed for higher CRP (OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.26 to 2.18), as well as four out of five of MetS components. In stratified analyses by sex, the associations between DII/CRP and MetS among women, but not men, are comparable to the whole sample. In addition, Both the 2nd and 3rd tertile of the DII had a higher CRP level (β-Coefficients T2 versus T1 = 0.086, 95% CI: 0.004 to 0.167; β-Coefficients T3 versus T1 = 0.145, 95% CI: 0.045 to 0.245) among subjects with MetS. Participants with higher DII scores reported a higher degree of “Shanghuo” (p = 0.007), which is a traditional concept characterized by “redness, swelling, fever and pain” in Chinese Medicine. This study suggested a close association between CRP and MetS, while the association between the DII and MetS was limited. DII was only specifically associated with CRP at a higher level among participants with MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Endogenous DHA in milk is more bioaccessible than exogenously added DHA. • Endogenous DHA in milk has higher digestive stability than exogenously added DHA. • The bound form of milk endogenous DHA facilitates its digestion and absorption. • Naturally enriched milk fat hydrolyzes easier than artificially enriched milk fat. This study aimed to compare the bioaccessibility of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in naturally and artificially enriched milk and investigate the potential mechanisms involved. The results indicated that the DHA in naturally enriched milk (NEM) had a higher bioaccessibility (76.9 %) and a lower digestive loss rate (18.1 %) compared to artificially enriched milk (ArEM). Moreover, NEM contained a higher proportion of DHA-containing glycerophospholipids and sn -2 DHA, with fewer long-chain fatty acids and more saturated fatty acids adjacent to DHA in the same lipid molecule. During simulated intestinal digestion, NEM had a higher free fatty acid release and lipid digestion rate than ArEM. These findings suggested that the bioaccessibility of endogenous DHA in milk was superior to that of externally added DHA due to its more easily digestible and absorbable chemical binding form and lower digestive loss rate. The easy digestibility of milk lipids in NEM also contributed to its high DHA bioaccessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recommended amino acid requirements of the infant are based on the amino acid composition of mature human breast milk. The amino acid composition of breast milk is usually determined following either acid or alkaline (for tryptophan) hydrolysis. For accuracy, however, the known effect of hydrolysis time on amino acid composition should be accounted for. Also, ideally the amino acid composition of breast milk should be given in units of digested (assumed to be absorbed) amino acids. A review of the literature is presented which gives mean total amino acid concentrations in mature human milk ( n  = 26 studies), mean hydrolysis correction factors ( n  = 3 studies) and mean true ileal amino acid digestibility coefficients ( n  = 3 studies, suckling piglet). There were differences between the estimates of amino acid concentration corrected for hydrolysis time and digestibility, and current FAO (2013) recommendations that were not corrected for these factors. The values based on the published literature up until 2023 (mg/g true protein) corrected for hydrolysis time and digestibility gave higher values (more than 16% higher) for leucine, lysine and threonine, and considerably higher values (greater than 30%) for histidine and tryptophan. Current recommendations may need revision., Competing Interests: YY, SD, and IS were employed by Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd. PW was employed by Oceania Dairy Limited. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Moughan, Deglaire, Yan, Wescombe, Lim, Stroebinger, Duan, Szeto and Hodgkinson.)

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) are essential in the development of infants. ARA and DHA from breast milk or infant formula are the main sources of access for infants to meet their physiological and metabolic needs. The ratio of ARA to DHA in breast milk varies among regions and different lactation stages. Different ratios of ARA and DHA mainly from algal oil, animal fat, fish oil, and microbial oil, are added to infant formula in different regions and infant age ranges. Supplementing with appropriate ratios of ARA and DHA during infancy promotes brain, neural, visual, and other development aspects. In this review, we first introduced the current intake status of ARA and DHA in different locations, lactation stages, and age ranges in breast milk and infant formula. Finally, we discussed the effect of different ratios of ARA and DHA on infant development. This review provided a comprehensive research basis for the nutritional research of infants who consume different ratios of ARA and DHA.