Effect of high pressure thermal processing on some essential nutrients and immunological components present in breast milk

Abstract

Abstract The influence of high pressure thermal (HPT) processing (300, 600 or 900 MPa at an initial temperature of 50, 65 or 80 °C, for 1 min) on the levels of tocopherols, fatty acids, cytokines, leukocytes and immunoglobulins (IgM, IgA and IgG) was evaluated in breast milk. Breast milk treated at 65 or 80 °C at any intensity of pressure caused a significant decrease in the content of α-tocopherol compared with untreated milk. The relative proportions of some important fatty acids were affected by HPT treatment. HPT processing had a minimal effect on the levels of some cytokines, such as IL-12, IL-17 and IFN-γ. Leukocytes viable cells did not survive to any of the treatments applied. Only the treatments at 300 MPa and 50 °C maintained certain levels of Igs such as IgM (~ 75% retention), IgA (~ 48%) and IgG (~ 100%), while the rest of combinations produced important decreases of their contents. Industrial relevance Human milk banks use low-temperature/long-time thermal pasteurisation for the preservation of milk and to avoid risks of infections. Thermal treatment reduces nutritional and immunological properties of breast milk. The study of new methods to preserve milk quality could produce important benefits for the infants' receptor of milk. The application of high pressure processing at low temperatures has showed certain advantageous respect to the thermal treatment, however, the effect of high pressure at moderate-high temperatures have never been evaluated in breast milk.