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There is a lack of studies investigating the clinical benefits of prebiotic-supplemented infant formula. In this study, healthy infants that started, on medical recommendation, artificial feeding with one of 2 infant formulas containing 4 g/L of GOS/FOS (9:1) (IF4 group; n = 60) or 8 g/L of GOS/FOS (9:1) (IF8 group; n = 60) were followed for 30 days to the evaluation of growth and gastrointestinal symptoms. Exclusively breastfed infants (EBF; n = 60) were followed up as a reference. Both infant formulas supported adequate weight gain, however, IF4 formula promotes growth more similar to breastfed infants. There was no additional benefit of a dose higher than 4 g/L of GOS/FOS on gastrointestinal symptoms.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n–3) is an essential long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid associated with the development of the nervous system that has to be consumed by infants through breast milk or complementary food sources and which consumption is also usually inadequate in preschoolers. In this work, the in vitro bioaccessibility of DHA from two commercial infant formulas (8.9 and 9.1%) and two preschool children milks (6.9 and 7.2%), with similar DHA contents but formulated with different ingredients, was not improved by the presence of egg phospholipids in the product formulation. In addition, the importance of the choice of an age-appropriate in vitro digestion method was demonstrated by comparing the DHA bioaccessibility from the infant formulas by the Infogest 2.0 standardized method and a simulated digestion method specific for infants.

O trato gastrointestinal de humanos é rico em microrganismos que, podem tanto ser benéficos para a saúde do hospedeiro, prevenindo e/ ou tratando a intolerância à lactose, constipação intestinal, síndrome do intestino irritável, entre outras, quanto podem prejudicá-lo, afetando a aquisição de nutrientes e produção de mediadores inflamatórios. Estes distintos papéis da microbiota intestinal são tão marcantes que podem, inclusive, influenciar no desenvolvimento da obesidade em algumas pessoas, podendo levar até mesmo à Síndrome Metabólica. Probióticos e prebióticos podem conferir alterações nas propriedades da microbiota, afetando o crescimento bacteriano e seu metabolismo e, até mesmo, o uso de nutrientes. Assim, o objetivo geral deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do uso de leite fermentado simbiótico na obesidade e nos indicadores de Síndrome Metabólica, como circunferência de cintura, TGL, HDL-c, glicemia e pressão arterial, em pacientes com predisposição a esta doença, selecionados de acordo com os critérios de diagnóstico para síndrome metabólica. Para esta pesquisa foram desenhados quatro produtos, três deles inoculados com uma cultura comercial de probiótico - Bifidobacterium lactis (BL420), adicionados ou não de casca de maracujá em pó (prebiótico), sendo um deles preparado com uma emulsão de óleos vegetais, que apresenta efeito em prolongar a saciedade; e o quarto produto, fermentado apenas com a cultura clássica Streptococcus thermophilus. Avaliaram-se as propriedades tecnológicas dos produtos - físico-química, sensorial, microestrutura, microbiológica, e estudaram-se seus aspectos funcionais. Finalmente, os produtos foram testados em consumidores ao longo de um ensaio clínico durante 12 semanas, período no qual os voluntários tiveram que consumir 100 mL do produto, duas vezes ao dia, todos os dias. A avaliação dos voluntários foi feita antes do início do ensaio e também aos ao final dos 90 dias. The gastrointestinal tract of humans is rich in microorganisms which can both be beneficial to host health, preventing and / or treating lactose intolerance, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, among others, as they can harm, affecting nutrient acquisition and the production of inflammatory mediators. These distinctive roles of intestinal microbiota are so striking that can even influence the development of obesity in some people and may even lead to metabolic syndrome. Probiotics and prebiotics can confer alterations in the microbiota properties, affecting the bacteria growth and their metabolism, and the use of nutrients. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of innovative symbiotic fermented milk in obesity and metabolic syndrome indicators such as waist circumference, TGL, HDL-C, blood glucose and blood pressure in patients with a predisposition to this disease, selected according to the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. For this, four fermented mik were designed, three of them inoculated with a commercial probiotic culture - Bifidobacterium lactis (BL420), added or not by passion fruit peel powder (prebiotic), one of them being prepared with an emulsion of vegetable oil, which has effect on prolonguing satiety; and the fourth product, fermented only with the classical culture Streptococcus thermophilus. Products´ technological properties were evaluated - physico chemical, sensory, microstructure, microbiology, and functional aspects were studied. Finally products were tested in consumers throughout a clinical trial during 12 weeks, period in which the volunteers had to consume 100 mL of the product twice a day, every day. The evaluation of the volunteers was done before the start of the test and also at the end of the 90 days.

Vegetal oil emulsion and passion fruit peel powder were concomitantly incorporated to milk aiming to produce new functional yogurt with health benefits. Four milk bases with similar energetic content and macronutrient composition, enriched or not with vegetal oil emulsion and/or passion fruit peel powder, were fermented with Streptococcus thermophilus , Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium lactis ( Bifidobacterium species 420) to supply yogurts with similar appearance, flavor, and stability. Milk without supplementation was used as control. Applying hedonic scale and projective map approaches, respectively, 227 and 25 panelists analyzed the samples concerning flavor, texture-in-spoon, creaminess-in-mouth, and global impression. Instrumental firmness was also investigated. Considering the same fermentation temperature, the addition of vegetal-oil emulsion and passion fruit peel-powder did not influence fermentation time, but significantly affected instrumental firmness. Despite the observed differences in flavor and global impression there were no significant changes in consumers' overall liking between supplemented and conventional yogurts.

Development of dairy products containing bifido bacteria is one of the main focuses in the food industry, considering the health benefits attributed to its survival through gut intestinal tract and the liberation of biogenic compounds. In order to evaluate the effect of process conditions on survival of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis HN019 and release of biogenic compounds during cold storage two technological processes were employed: (i) addition of Probiotic (unfermented bifido milk; UFBM) and (ii) fermentation (fermented bifido milk; FBM). B. Lactis HN019 counts were stable only in fermented milks during seven weeks of cold storage. Moreover, dairy matrices associated with cold storage appeared to protect bifidobacteria during exposition to gastric conditions, assuring the correct Probiotic counts at gut entrance. The distribution of fatty acids was affected by the different Probiotic products. In contrast, fermentation process increased the relative contents of some bioactive fatty acids, such as elaidic acid (+11%) and conjugated linoleic acids (+20%). It was also noted an increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids in the FBM and a higher relative content of monounsaturated fatty acids in the UFBM, as compared to control milk. In addition, fermentation process by bifido bacteria enhanced the long chain fatty acids fraction in bifido milks as compared to control and unfermented bifido milks. Control milk and unfermented bifido milk showed the same peptides even after seven days of storage in contrast with fermented milks that had increase bioactive peptides. It is possible to suggest that opioid peptides are formed during fermentation process, increasing the source of bioactive peptides. Finally, the cold conservation process modified peptides and could improve antibacterial activity.