Effects of bovine alpha-lactalbumin and casein glycomacropeptide-enriched infant formulae on faecal microbiota in healthy term infants.
OBJECTIVE
Certain milk factors may promote the growth of a host-friendly gastrointestinal microbiota, for example, one that is predominated by bifidobacteria, a perceived health-promoting genus. This may explain why breast-fed infants experience fewer intestinal infections than their formula-fed counterparts who are believed to have a more diverse microbiota, which is similar to that of adults. The effects of formulas supplemented with 2 such ingredients from bovine milk, alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-lac) and casein glycomacropeptide (GMP), on gut flora were investigated in this study.


METHODS
Six-week-old (4-8 wk), healthy term infants were randomised to a standard infant formula or 1 of 2 test formulae enriched in alpha-lac with higher or lower GMP until 6 months. Faecal bacteriology was determined by the culture-independent procedure fluorescence in situ hybridisation.


RESULTS
There was a large fluctuation of bacterial counts within groups with no statistically significant differences between groups. Although all groups showed a predominance of bifidobacteria, breast-fed infants had a small temporary increase in counts. Other bacterial levels varied in formula-fed groups, which overall showed an adult-like faecal microflora.


CONCLUSIONS
It can be speculated that a prebiotic effect for alpha-lac and GMP is achieved only with low starting populations of beneficial microbiota (eg, infants not initially breast-fed.
Brück
Wolfram M
WM
Food Microbial Sciences Unit, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Redgrave
Michele
M
Tuohy
Kieran M
KM
Lönnerdal
Bo
B
Graverholt
Gitte
G
Hernell
Olle
O
Gibson
Glenn R
GR
D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006020:Glycopeptides; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry; D007768:Lactalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D014886:Weaning
D002364:Caseins; D006020:Glycopeptides; D007768:Lactalbumin