Commercial formula milk (FM) constitutes the best alternative to fulfill the nutritional requirements of infants when breastfeeding is precluded. Here, we present the comparative study of polar metabolite composition of human breast milk (HBM) and seven different brands of FM by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results of the multivariate data analysis exposed qualitative and quantitative differences between HBM and FM composition as well as within FM of various brands and in HBM itself (between individual mothers and lactation period). Several metabolites were found exclusively in HBM and FM. Statistically significant higher levels of isoleucine and methionine in their free form were detected in FM samples based on caprine milk, while FM samples based on bovine milk showed a higher level of glucose and galactose in comparison to HBM. The results suggest that the amelioration of FM formulation is imperative to better mimic the composition of minor nutrients in HBM.
Keywords: NMR metabolomics; breastfeeding; foodomics; human breast milk; human milk composition; human milk metabolites; infant feeding; infant formula.