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Session: Carotenoids and Retinoids (Oral 8)

(OR08-06-23) Piglets Accumulate Greater Hepatic Beta-Carotene From Human Donor Milk Than From Infant Formula

Sunday, July 23, 2023
11:00 AM – 11:12 AM ET
Location:  Commonwealth

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Nancy E. Moran, PhD (she/her/hers)

    Assistant Professor
    Baylor College of Medicine
    Houston, Texas, United States

    Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • JW

    Joshua Wade

    Baylor College of Medicine

  • RS

    Rachel Stroh, BS

    Medical Student
    Baylor College of Medicine
    Houston, Texas, United States

  • BS

    Barbara Stoll, PhD

    Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine
    Houston, Texas, United States

  • AH

    Amy B. Hair, MD

    Baylor College of Medicine

  • DB

    Doug G. Burrin, PhD

    Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine
    Houston, Texas, United States

Disclosure(s):
Nancy E. Moran, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Objectives: Milk carotenoids may support pre-term infant growth, development, and vitamin A status. However, quasi-experimental studies have suggested that human infants fed carotenoid-containing infant formula (IF) have lower blood and tissue carotenoid concentrations than when human milk-fed, even when fed similar amounts of carotenoids. The purpose of this study was to compare the blood and tissue carotenoid concentrations of the preterm piglet model of infant nutrition when fed beta-carotene-matched donor human milk (DHM) vs IF.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of preterm piglets provided matched, partial enteral feeding of either pasteurized DHM (n=7) or premature IF (Enfamil Premature) (n=7) from 2-7 days of age. The milk diets each provided beta-carotene (0.017 mg/L), with greater concentrations of lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene in DHM than formula, and greater total vitamin A in IF than DHM. Healthy jejunal mRNA expression of 12 genes associated with carotenoid and lipid metabolism were measured by qRT-PCR and compared between treatments. Serum, liver, and jejunal carotenoid and vitamin A concentrations were compared by ANOVA.

Results: Liver beta-carotene concentrations were greater in DHM than IF-fed piglets (23±4 vs 16±2 ug/g, P=0.0024), while plasma and jejunal beta-carotene concentrations were similar. IF-fed piglets had greater liver vitamin A stores than DHM-fed piglets (50.6±10.1 vs. 30.9±7.2, P=0.0013), consistent with greater vitamin A in formula than DHM. However, plasma vitamin A concentrations were similar between groups. Piglets fed DHM had greater plasma, liver, and jejunum concentrations of lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene, consistent with the greater amounts in DHM than IF. Expression of all 12 genes was detectable. Jejunal expression of Ldlr was greater in IF-fed piglets (1.61±0.40 expression ratio, P=0.018), expression of Cd36 was lower with IF- (0.73±0.19 expression ratio, P=0.034) than DHM-feeding, while other genes did not differ by diet type.

Conclusions: These findings indicate greater liver stores of beta-carotene with human milk than IF, after only a short period of partial enteral feeding. Future research should leverage relevant models of infant nutrition to define the causes of greater carotenoid bioaccumulation with human milk feeding.

Funding Sources: USDA/ARS, Donor human milk was donated by Prolacta Bioscience.