Vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidant capacity stability during storage of freeze-dried human milk.
Although freezing is the most common method used to preserve human milk, nutritional and immunological components may be lost during storage. Freeze-drying could increase the shelf life of human milk, while preserving its original characteristics. Seventy-two samples of freeze-dried human milk were stored for different periods of time, up to a maximum of 3 months, at 4 °C or 40 °C. Vitamin C, tocopherols, antioxidant capacity, and fatty acids composition were analyzed. A new HILIC-UHPLC method improving vitamin C determination was also validated. Ascorbic acid and total vitamin C concentrations significantly decreased at both temperatures, while antioxidant capacity only decreased at 40 °C. Fatty acids composition and both γ-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol contents remained unaltered. The stability after storage of freeze-dried milk was higher than that reported for frozen or fresh milk indicating that freeze-drying is a promising option to improve the preservation of human milk in banks.
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain and.
Blanca
B
Lozano
Ana Isabel
AI
Castellote
Rosa
R
Montes
M Carmen
MC
López-Sabater
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005519:Food Preservation; D061353:Food Storage; D005612:Freeze Drying; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D024505:Tocopherols / Q000032:analysis; D014815:Vitamins / Q000032:analysis*; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis
D000975:Antioxidants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D014815:Vitamins; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; C479072:delta-tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D024505:Tocopherols
Ascorbic acid; antioxidant capacity; breast milk; fatty acids; freeze-drying; stability; tocopherols