16. Infant formula and polyamines

Abstract

The possible biological role of polyamines in human milk was first noted in the last century. This has implications for commercial infant formulas, which generally contain a low amount of polyamines compared to breast milk due to the degradation of the polyamines by polyamine oxidase present in the cow’s milk used in the production of the formulas. Previous studies, mainly based on animal models, showed that polyamines take part in proliferation, maturation and developmental processes in the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system during lactation. Studies with lactating mice pups that were weaned early showed that the inclusion of polyamines in infant formulas exerts changes on the microbiota, on the immune system and on the gastrointestinal system, with some microbial cell populations close to levels found in breastfeeding. Besides their influence on the immune system, there is some evidence supporting a relation between low polyamine intake during early life and an increased probability of developing allergies. Studies are needed on the functionality and the safety of polyamines as ingredients in infant formulas to improve these formulations and make them more similar to human milk.