Hydrolysed formula, delayed food introduction and fatty acids for atopic dermatitis prevention in infancy

Allergy-associated biomarkers in early life identified by Omics techniques

The prevalence and severity of allergic diseases have increased over the last 30 years. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for these diseases is a major challenge in current allergology, as it is crucial for the transition towards precision medicine, which encompasses predictive, preventive, and personalized strategies. The urge to identify predictive biomarkers of allergy at early stages of life is crucial, especially in the context of major allergic diseases such as food allergy and atopic dermatitis. Identifying these biomarkers could enhance our understanding of the immature immune responses, improve allergy handling at early ages and pave the way for preventive and therapeutic approaches. This minireview aims to explore the relevance of three biomarker categories (proteome, microbiome, and metabolome) in early life. First, levels of some proteins emerge as potential indicators of mucosal health and metabolic status in certain allergic diseases. Second, bacterial taxonomy provides insight into the composition of the microbiota through high-throughput sequencing methods. Finally, metabolites, representing the end products of bacterial and host metabolic activity, serve as early indicators of changes in microbiota and host metabolism. This information could help to develop an extensive identification of biomarkers in AD and FA and their potential in translational personalized medicine in early life.

The use of hydrolyzed formulas as a method of correction of feeding and clinical rehabilitation of infants with atopy signs

Our study showed that in formula-fed babies, the use of mixture X (containing 2'-FL (2'-fucosyllactose) - a type of milk oligosaccharide, as well as carefully studied Bifidobacterium lactis, DHA, ARA, and nucleotides) as the main product for feeding could ensure children's body with all the necessary nutrients. Furthermore, it can minimize the progression of clinical signs of atopic dermatitis and reduce the use of drugs. In addition, there was an improvement in height and weight parameters, proportional development of the child (p<0.05), an increase in the number of erythrocytes (erythrocytes), hemoglobin (Hb), mean cell volume (MCV) (p<0.05), a decrease in the number of leukocytes (WBC) (p<0.05), and leveling of skin signs of atopic dermatitis (AD) (according to SCORAD a decrease from 32.8±5.5 to 16.1±2.2, p<0.05). Based on these results, it is possible to recommend using mixture (X) with a preventive and rational purpose as a product of artificial feeding of children with a hereditary predisposition to allergies.

In vitro Digestion Characteristics of Hydrolyzed Infant Formula and Its Effects on the Growth and Development in Mice

Infant formula, an important food for babies, is convenient and nutritious, and hydrolyzed formulas have attracted much attention due to their non-allergicity. However, it is uncertain whether hydrolyzed formulars cause obesity and other side effects in infants. Herein, three infant formulas, standard (sIF), partially hydrolyzed (pHIF), and extensively hydrolyzed (eHIF), were analyzed in an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model. With increasing degree of hydrolysis, the protein moleculars, and allergenicity of the proteins decreased and the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid content increased. Moreover, the digestion model solutions quickly digested the small fat globules and proteins in the hydrolyzed formula, allowing it to become electrostatically stable sooner. The eHIF-fed mice presented larger body sizes, and exhibited excellent exploratory and spatial memory abilities in the maze test. Based on villus height and crypt depth histological characterizations and amplicon sequencing, eHIF promoted mouse small intestine development and changed the gut microbiota composition, eventually favoring weight gain. The mouse spleen index showed that long-term infant formula consumption might be detrimental to immune system development, and the weight-bearing swimming test showed that eHIF could cause severe physical strength decline. Therefore, long-term consumption of infant formula, especially eHIF, may have both positive and negative effects on mouse growth and development, and our results might shed light on feeding formula to infants.