title: Vitamin E content and estimated need in German infant and follow-on formulas with and without long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) enrichment.
abstract: Many formulas (FM) for infants are nowadays supplemented with LC-PUFA. Due to the susceptibility of LC-PUFA to peroxidation, a potential risk of oxidative stress must be considered. We analyzed the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids to calculate an estimated vitamin E need and the concentration of vitamin E as an important lipophilic antioxidant in LC-PUFA enriched (FM(+), n = 31) and not enriched (FM(-), n = 29) formulas as well as in breast milk (BM, n = 118). No differences were observed in the ratios of vitamin E content to estimated vitamin E need between FM(+) and FM(-). Ratios were consistently above the minimum value according to European law. FM showed similar or higher ratios than BM, except in a worst-case scenario where BM showed higher ratios than FM(+). Our results indicate adequate vitamin E content relative to unsaturated fatty acid content in present-day commercial formulas. Given that breast milk tends to contain higher ratios of vitamin E content to estimated vitamin E need than LC-PUFA enriched formulas (at least in a worst-case scenario), the potential effects of increasing vitamin E content in LC-PUFA enriched formulas should be explored.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Child Nutrition (FKE) Dortmund, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University Bonn , Heinstueck 11, 44225 Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Madlen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stimming
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mesch
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kersting
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalhoff
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demmelmair
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koletzko
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Libuda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D014810:Vitamin E
keywords: DHA; formula milk; human milk; n-3 PUFA; tocopherol; tocotrienol