Fungal profile, levels of aflatoxin M1, exposure, and the risk characterization of local cheese 'wagashi' consumed in the Ho Municipality, Volta Region, Ghana

Wagashi is a West African type cottage cheese locally prepared from cow milk. Wagashi like other milk products, is prone to microbial contamination, particularly by fungi. Many of these fungal species produce mycotoxins which are of serious public health concern. This work aimed to update the mycoflora profile and determine the concentrations of aflatoxin M1 and its health risk characterization due to the consumption of wagashi. Culturing the wagashi on mycological media (Oxytetracycline Glucose Yeast Extract OGYE, Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol DRBC) caused a de-novo growth of the quiescent spores at 28-30 °C for 5-7 days. The analysis of AFM1 levels in the samples was done using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography connected to a Fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). The exposure and risk assessment to the AFMI levels were determined using deterministic models prescribed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The fungal counts ranged between 2.36-4.30 log10 CFU/g. In total, thirteen (13) fungal species from eight (8) genera were isolated from all wagashi samples. They are; Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium verticillioides, Penicillium digitatum, Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus terreus, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus fumigatus, Yeast sp., Mucor racemosus and Fusarium oligosporum belonging to the genera Fusarium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Rhodotorula, Rhizopus, Yeast, and Mucor. The AFM1 observed in the wagashi samples' analysis was low, ranging from 0.00 (Not Detected) ± 0.00 - 0.06 ± 0.002 µg/Kg. Risk assessments of AFM1 using deterministic models produced outcomes that ranged between 5.92 × 10-3- 0.14 ng/kg bw/day, 1.42 -44.35, 0-0.0323 ng aflatoxins/kg bw/day, and 1.51 × 10-3 - 9.69 × 10-4 cases/100,000 person/yr for estimated daily intake (EDI), margin of exposure (MOE), average potency, and cancer risks, respectively, for the age categories investigated. Fungal counts were interpreted as medium to high. It was also established that the consumption of wagashi may pose adverse health effects on all age categories in the selected zones of the study since all calculated MOE values were less than 100,000.

Molecular detection of enterotoxins in multidrug resistant Aeromonas from ready to eat foods in North Western Himalayas: Public health significance

Aeromonas spp. are normal inhabitants of aquatic environments and are emerging foodborne bacterial pathogens. Aeromonas spp. contamination is frequent in ready-to-eat (RTE) seafood and can also occur in products prepared from milk or meat. The study determined the enterotoxin and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Aeromonas spp. isolates recovered from RTE milk products (n = 105), RTE meat/fish products (n = 40) and drinking water (n = 60) samples collected from tourist places in Himachal Pradesh, India, in northwestern Himalayas. 7.3 % (16/220) samples were found contaminated with Aeromonas spp. These isolates were identified as A. hydrophila (31.3 %), A. schubertii (25.0 %), A. sobria (25.0 %) and A. veronii (18.8 %). Aeromonas spp. contamination was significantly higher (14.3 %, 15/105, p = 0.0001) in RTE milk products. The contamination levels for water samples were 1.7 % whereas none of the tested RTE meat or fish products yielded Aeromonas spp. Among RTE milk products, contamination was significantly higher in paneer (South Asian soft cheese) (26.1 %, p = 0.0027) and cream (25.0 %, p = 0.046) based RTE foods. All isolates carried alt (361 bp), encoding a cytotonic heat-labile enterotoxin. Ampicillin resistance was 100 % and high levels (>30 %) of resistance were recorded for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, amikacin, cefotaxime and ceftazidime. Six (37.5 %) isolates were multi drug resistant (MDR), showing resistance to aminoglycosides, cephams and penicillins. Isolation of alt carrying MDR isolates from RTE foods indicates that Aeromonas spp. can be potential foodborne public health threat in northwestern Himalayas.

Potential role of camel, mare milk, and their products in inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Milk and dairy products serve as a significant dietary component for people all over the world. Milk is a source of essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, fats, and water that support newborns' growth, development, and physiological processes. Milk contains various essential biological compounds that contribute to overall health and well-being. These compounds are crucial in immune system regulation, bone health, and gut microbiota. Milk and dairy products are primarily from cows, buffalos, goats, and sheep. Recently, there has been a notable increase in camel and mare milk consumption and its associated products due to an increasing attraction to ethnic cuisines and a greater awareness of food biodiversity. Camel and mare milk possess diverse nutritional and therapeutic properties, displaying potential functional foods. Camel milk has been linked to various health advantages, encompassing antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antiallergic, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. Camel milk has exhibited notable efficacy in mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress, potentially offering therapeutic benefits for inflammatory disorders. Nevertheless, although extensively recorded, the potential health benefits of mare's milk have yet to be investigated, including its impact on inflammatory conditions. This article highlights the therapeutic potential of camel and mare milk and its derived products in treating inflammatory rheumatic disorders, specifically focusing on their anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory capabilities. These alternative types of milk, which do not come from cows, offer potential avenues for investigating innovative strategies to regulate and reduce inflammatory conditions.

Microbial risk assessment of dairy products from retail marketplaces in Basrah province, Iraq

Background

Milk-borne bacteria cause degradation of milk products and constitute a significant risk to public health.

Aim

The objectives of the present study are to determine the microbiological quality of dairy products and to investigate pathogenic microorganisms.

Methods

A total of 60 samples of raw milk, homemade cheese, and yogurt were randomly selected from different retail marketplaces in Basrah. The bacteriological and biochemical tests were utilized to identify the pathogens in dairy samples, as well as the molecular technique was used as an accurate diagnostic test.

Results

The prevalence of contamination of milk products with various isolates was estimated as 50% (95% Cl: 36.8-63.2). The mean of total bacteria count for cheese was 7.29 ± 2.70, raw milk 4.62 ± 2.86, and yogurt 2.87 ± 1.05, with a significant p-value (p = 0.001). The mean count of aerobic spore-forming (ASF) contaminated raw milk was analyzed as 3.77 ± 1.18 and less contamination detected in the yogurt samples with mean of ASF was estimated as 2.52 ± 1.47 SD log 10 CFU/ml. A range of important microorganisms to human health were identified by employing the VITEK_2 system and sequencing 16S rDNA gene, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, and Bacillus cereus.

Conclusion

The study indicates that there is a high level of bacterial contamination in dairy products with different bacteria species, which is medically important. Therefore, food safety management must be implemented to reduce biological risks carried by dairy products and ensure healthy food for consumers.

Synthesis of an ordered macroporous metal-organic framework for efficient solid-phase extraction of aflatoxins from milk products

Aflatoxins (AFs) exhibit hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and carcinogenicity, and their detection in food has attracted widespread concern. An ordered macroporous metal-organic framework (OM-ZIF-8) based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used to extract six AFs from milk products. The SPE conditions, including eluting solvent, eluting volume, amounts of OM-ZIF-8, pH of loading solution, loading solvent, ionic strength, loading flow rate, and elution flow rate, were exhaustively optimized. Under optimal parameters, the six AFs were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The OM-ZIF-8 exhibited satisfactory AFs extraction performance through ordered macropore structure, π-π interaction, coordination interaction, and electrostatic interaction. Furthermore, linearity in the range of 0.01-100 ng mL-1 with low detection limits of 0.002-0.0150 ng mL-1 was obtained, and the relative recoveries of AFs were 80.3-110 % with relative standard deviation ≤8.7 %. Thus, this research provides a promising platform for the analysis of trace AFs in complex foods.

The association of milk products with rheumatoid arthritis: A cross-sectional study from NHANES

OBJECTIVE

Milk products are a major part of the western diet, but the role of their effect in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is controversial. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between milk products and RA in the United States (US) population.

METHODS

In the cross-sectional study, a total of 12,813 participants aged 20years or older were selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Consumption of milk products was collected by personal interview, and RA status was obtained by self-reported questionnaires. The association between milk products and RA was estimated by using the weighted logistic regression model.

RESULTS

We found a negative association of once a day or more milk products intake with self-reported RA prevalence (odds ratio [OR]: 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.53 to 0.86; P<0.001). A linear trend between consumption of milk products and the prevalence of RA (P<0.01) was also observed. In subgroup analysis, protective effects of milk products on RA were more pronounced in several groups (i.e., Mexican Americans, highly educated and drinking individuals, etc.). However, no interaction effect of stratification variables and the frequency of milk products intake with RA was detected. After imputing missing data, the sensitivity analysis showed the same association.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested a negative association between consumption of milk products and RA among US population. Further investigations are warranted to validate the causal association and the underlying mechanism.

The association between breast cancer and consumption of dairy products: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Among the world, the most frequently discovered and fatal cancer in women is breast cancer (BC). From the perspective of public health, estimating the BC risk linked to dairy intake may aid in comprehensive management. In epidemiological research data on the association between eating dairy foods and the risk of BC are conflicting. Therefore, we sought to assess the link between dairy food consumption and the development of BC.

MAIN TEXT

To summarize and quantify the most recent findings on consuming milk or other dairy foods and the development of BC, we performed a systematic literature review. We checked through several databases for relevant publications published in English up to January 2022. Of the 82 articles identified, only 18 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Nine Prospective, seven Retrospective and two Cross-Sectional studies were finally identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, dairy consumption was inversely associated with the risk of developing breast cancer. Future studies will help elucidate the role of dairy products in human health, and their use within a balanced diet should be considered.KEY MESSAGESThe effect of different types of dairy products, and possible dose-response relationships on BC risk remains unknown.Estimating BC risk associated with dairy consumption may help to take the decision-making of physicians and public health policy in developing preventive strategies to reduce its occurrence.This systematic review was conducted to assess dairy consumption and BC risk.Overall, inverse associations were found when looking at dairy consumption and BC risk.

Miniaturized open-source 2LabsToGo screening of lactose-free dairy products and saccharide-containing foods

The open-source 2LabsToGo system is the only one in its nature. It combines in one miniaturized instrument all relevant steps normally performed in a chemical and biological laboratory. For the first time, the applicability of the 2LabsToGo system was studied for screening 17 food products. As examples, saccharides were analyzed in eight products of different matrix complexity, and the absence of lactose was studied in nine lactose-free dairy products. Derivatization including homogeneous reagent application and plate heating via the 2LabsToGo system was explored for saccharide detection, and its performance was investigated. The visual detection sensitivity of lactose was comparable to previous studies. The precision of lactose in milk matrix (%RSD 4.6%) as well as the coefficient of determination of the calibration function (0.9995) were highly satisfying. The obtained lactose content of milk (4.5%) was plausible. Screening eight saccharide-containing food samples showed the saccharides in agreement with the expectations for the respective food product. The lactose content of nine different lactose-free dairy products was proven to be below the 0.1% lactose limit value. As proof-of-principle and for verification, these screening results obtained with the miniaturized 2LabsToGo system were reproduced using conventional state-of-the-art instrumentation, which led to the same results. However, instrumental costs were comparably low for the 2LabsToGo system. The application of the new 2LabsToGo system was successfully shown for saccharide screening, which is attractive to the field of quality control or official food control.

Antibiotic residues in milk and milk products: A momentous challenge for the pharmaceutical industry and medicine

Dairy products are nutritious food items that contain various essential nutrients, however, it has been proven that residual antibiotics have contaminated such products. These residues can cause several side effects on human health. They increase antimicrobial resistance against several threatening microorganisms, as well as significant growth in allergenic reactions. Various methods, including heat treatments, have been applied to alleviate and reduce the effect of antibiotic residue level in milk and milk products. Changes in drug levels were not significantly remarkable, obliging researchers to find new approaches to prevent or reduce their risk and limit their complications on human health.

Determination of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in milk products by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and its simulation analysis

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a useful indicator of thermal damage degree and freshness of milk. It is of great importance to develop simple, rapid and accurate analytical methods for the sensitive detection of 5-HMF in milk and milk-based products. In this work, surface-enhance Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used for rapid determination of 5-HMF in processed cheese by colloidal Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) substrate synthesized by the classical solvothermal reduction method. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to determine the vibration assignments of 5-HMF and the surface enhancement effect of AuNPs substrate. The results found that a good linear response on the AuNPs substrate for 5-HMF in the concentration range of 0.1-75 mM was established with the detection limit of 75 μM (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the present method could be applied to the determination of 5-HMF in a cheese real sample which revealed its promising application in food safety and analysis.

Occurrence and exposure assessment of Aflatoxin M1 in milk and milk products in India

Milk containing Aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁) poses a serious health risk to consumers. Present study was undertaken to determine levels of AFM₁ in 146 milk and value added dairy products sold in retail markets of Chhattisgarh, India using HPLC coupled with fluorescence detector. A total of 52 samples (35.6%) were found to contain AFM₁ with overall concentrations ranging from nd - 2.608 µg/L. The contamination levels were higher in non-fermented milk products than fermented milk products samples, although this difference was statistically non-significant (p > 0.05). AFM₁ concentrations above maximum permissible limits established by the European Commission were found in 94.2% of positive samples. Health risk assessments ascertained that the estimated daily intakes for AFM₁ is higher than the established tolerable daily intakes for both adults and children (Hazard Index > 1), there by implying a potentially high risk to consumer's health. Current investigation provides valuable information regarding contamination of raw as well as value added milk products sold in Indian markets. Therefore, to protect consumer's health and promote dairy trade; there is an urgent need to increase farmer's knowledge on good storage practices of feed and fodder. Further, stringent enforcement of food safety regulations is imperative to safeguard and promote human health.

Critical occurrence of verotoxgenic E.coli and non-typhoidal salmonella in some heat treated dairy products

Pathogenic strains of E.coli and Salmonella are common causes of foodborne illness and have been frequently isolated from inadequately heat-treated milk products in Mansoura city. The current study was performed to explore the prevalence of E.coli and Salmonella spp. in heattreated milk products intended for consumption in Mansoura university hospitals and hostels, as well as, to investigate their serotypes and virulence potential. Seventyfive samples of heat-treated milk products (Soft cheese, yoghurt, and processed cheese, 25 of each) were randomly gathered and directed to further investigation using conventional and molecular microbiology. Result revealed that 3(12%) of soft cheese samples harbored E.coli O146:H21, O26:H11 and O128:H2 serotypes and 2(8%) of yoghurt samples were contaminated with O128:H2 and O121:H7 serotypes while 3(12%) of processed cheese samples were positive for non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars (Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Essen). Virulence gene profiling reported that all E.coli isolates harbored eaeA gene and only E.coli O26:H11 and O121:H7 encoded stx2 (verotoxin) gene. Further, all Salmonella isolates harbored invA and stn genes, while only Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Infantis encoded spvC gene. This study confirmed the existence of highly pathogenic verotoxogenic E.coli (VTEC) and NTS in investigated milk products which could be hazardous for public health and resident in Mansoura hospitals and hostels. Hence, the implementation of good hygienic practices together with hazard analysis, and risk-based preventive control measures are rigorously required in the process of HACCP plan to eliminate the risk of contamination that may occur during the manufacturing process.

The prevalence of Listeria species in different food items of animal and plant origin in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Listeriosis is one of the important emerging zoonotic disease affecting human health following the consumption of contaminated food of animal origin. It results in serious clinical complications in humans with a high case facility rate. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of Listeria species in Ethiopia.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library. All identified observational studies reporting the prevalence of Listeria species in different food items of animal and plant origin in Ethiopia were included. Three authors independently extracted data and analyzed them using STATA Version 13 statistical software. A random effects model was computed to estimate the pooled prevalence of Listeria species in Ethiopia.

Results

After reviewing 122 studies, five studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The findings from the five studies revealed that the pooled prevalence of Listeria species in different food items of animal and plant origin in Ethiopia was 27% (95% CI 25, 29). The highest prevalence of Listeria species was reported in beef meat followed by ice cream with prevalence rates of 62% (95% CI 50, 75) and 43% (95% CI 33, 53), respectively.

Conclusion

The presence of Listeria species in different food items of animal and plant origin in Ethiopia is an indicator of the presence of public health hazards to the consumer, particularly to the high-risk groups. Hence, awareness creation on food safety and implementation of regulations is strongly recommended.

Development of a semi-dynamic in vitro model and its testing using probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 in orange juice and yogurt

A dynamic system mimicking the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions (fluids, pH, temperature, and residence time) was used to evaluate the behavior of Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 (BC) incorporated in yogurt and orange juice. BC counts were monitored in samples collected before the in vitro digestion, after initial contact with gastric fluids (30 min), static (1 h 15 min) and dynamic (2 h) stages in the gastric compartment, static (3 h) and dynamic (4 h) stages in the duodenal compartment, static (5 h) and dynamic (6 h) stages in the jejunal compartment, and after digestion. BC presented high survival in juice and yogurt over the digestion stages. The number of decimal reductions (γ) of BC caused by exposure to simulated GIT conditions was ≥0.89 in orange juice and ≥1.17 in yogurt. No differences (p ≥ 0.05) were observed on the survival of BC among the samples collected over the digestion in juice or yogurt, or between these matrices. After the in vitro digestion, BC counts were ≥7 log CFU/mL or g. Results show the great survival of BC under GIT conditions and suggest both, juice and yogurt as appropriate carries for delivering this probiotic to the diet. The semi-dynamic in vitro system was easily built and to operate, comprising an intermediate approach to assess the resistance of probiotic or potentially probiotic strains under simulated gut conditions.

Recyclable thermophilic hybrid protein-inorganic nanoflowers for the hydrolysis of milk lactose

Thermostable β-galactosidase (TmLac) has been immobilized as hybrid inorganic-protein nanoflowers using salts of Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, Co²⁺ and Ca²⁺ as the inorganic component. The incorporation efficiency of enzyme into the nanoflowers was higher than 95% for a protein concentration of 0.05 mg/mL. The structure, activity and recyclability of the nanoflowers with different chemical composition were analyzed. Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Co²⁺ nanoflowers showed a level of lactase activity equivalent to their same content of free enzyme. Cu²⁺nanoflowers showed only marginal enzyme activity in agreement with the inhibitory effect of this cation on the enzyme. TmLac nanoflowers provide an efficient methodology for enzyme immobilization and recyclability. TmLac-Ca²⁺ nanoflowers presented the best properties for lactose hydrolysis both in buffered and in milk, and could be reused in five consecutive cycles.

Using the USAXS technique to reveal the fat globule and casein micelle structures of bovine dairy products

Cows' milk is a commodity used worldwide to make many dairy products. We have used the ultra small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) technique to reveal the fat globule and casein micelle structures of some dairy products. USAXS covers the q-range 5 × 10^-4 Å^-1 < q < 10^-1 Å^-1, thereby allowing the study of micron-scale structures present in those dairy products. We measured the USAXS intensity, Iq, as a function of the scattering vector magnitude, q, for samples of skim milk, non-homogenized whole milk, homogenized whole milk, half and half and heavy cream, at two temperatures, 7 °C and 45 °C. The data collected from the scattering experiments were fitted using the Unified fit model run under the IRENA software from the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory (Illinois, USA). The fittings were carried out when the data were plotted as log[I(q)] vs log[q]. We observed a combination of linear regions (LRs) and knees. Two parameters of interest were obtained from the fittings, a radius of gyration, R_g, and a Porod exponent, P. Unified fit allowed us to fit up to four structural levels. One of the knees was centered at q ≈ 8 × 10^-3 Å^-1 for all samples measured at 7 °C, but vanished at 45 °C. Two LRs were identified as being either due to casein micelles (CMs) or to fat globules (FGs). The porod exponent obtained from these LRs allowed us to describe the surface morphology of CMs and FGs. Two of the R_g values gave a rough estimate of the FGs and CMs sizes. FGs were identified for samples of homogenized whole milk, half and half and heavy cream in the q-region 2 × 10^-4 < q < 8 × 10^-4 Å^-1. We found that, in the absence of chymosin, or changes in pH, CaCl₂ concentration or temperature changes, skim milk and non-homogenized whole milk displayed a Porod exponent that indicated a behavior characteristic of aggregation. Using computer simulations, we found that, seemingly, bovine CMs spontaneously formed approximately 1-dimensional aggregates possibly analogous to swollen randomly branched polymers.

East and West African milk products are reservoirs for human and livestock-associated Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus frequently isolated from milk products in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a major pathogen responsible for food intoxication, human and animal diseases. SSA hospital-derived strains are well studied but data on the population structure of foodborne S. aureus required to identify possible staphylococcal food poisoning sources is lacking. Therefore, the aim was to assess the population genetic structure, virulence and antibiotic resistance genes associated with milk-derived S. aureus isolates from Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya and Somalia through spa-typing, MLST, and DNA microarray analysis. Seventy milk S. aureus isolates from the three countries were assigned to 27 spa (7 new) and 23 (12 new) MLST sequence types. Milk-associated S. aureus of the three countries is genetically diverse comprising human and livestock-associated clonal complexes (CCs) predominated by the CC5 (n = 10) and CC30 (n = 9) isolates. Panton-Valentine leukocidin, toxic shock syndrome toxin and enterotoxin encoding genes were predominantly observed among human-associated CCs. Penicillin, fosfomycin and tetracycline, but not methicillin resistance genes were frequently detected. Our findings indicate that milk-associated S. aureus in SSA originates from human and animal sources alike highlighting the need for an overarching One Health approach to reduce S. aureus disease burdens through improving production processes, animal care and hygienic measures.

Longitudinal association of dairy consumption with the changes in blood pressure and the risk of incident hypertension: the Framingham Heart Study

We aimed to examine the longitudinal association of dairy consumption with the changes in blood pressure (BP) and the risk of incident hypertension (HTN) among adults. This study included 2636 Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort members who participated in the 5th through 8th examinations (1991-2008) and were free of HTN at their first examination during the follow-up. Data collected at each examination included dietary intake (by a validated FFQ), BP (following standardised procedures) and anti-hypertensive medication use (by physician-elicited self-report). HTN was defined as systolic BP (SBP)≥140 mmHg, or diastolic BP (DBP)≥90 mmHg or anti-hypertensive medication use. We used repeated-measure and discrete-time hazard regressions to examine the associations of dairy consumption with the annualised BP change (n 2075) and incident HTN (n 2340; cases=1026), respectively. Covariates included demographic, lifestyle, overall diet quality, metabolic factors and medication use. Greater intakes of total dairy foods, total low-fat/fat-free dairy foods, low-fat/skimmed milk and yoghurt were associated with smaller annualised increments in SBP and a lower risk of projected HTN incidence. However, with the exception of total dairy foods and yoghurt, these inverse associations with HTN risk were attenuated as the follow-up time increased. For yoghurt, each additional serving was associated with 6 (95 % CI 1, 10) % reduced risk of incident HTN. Total dairy and total low-fat/fat-free dairy intakes were found to be inversely related to changes in DBP. Dairy consumption, as part of a nutritious and energy-balanced diet pattern, may benefit BP control and prevent or delay the onset of HTN.

Comprehensive and quantitative profiling of lipid species in human milk, cow milk and a phospholipid-enriched milk formula by GC and MS/MSALL

Here we present a workflow for in-depth analysis of milk lipids that combines gas chromatography (GC) for fatty acid (FA) profiling and a shotgun lipidomics routine termed MS/MS^ALL for structural characterization of molecular lipid species. To evaluate the performance of the workflow we performed a comparative lipid analysis of human milk, cow milk, and Lacprodan® PL-20, a phospholipid-enriched milk protein concentrate for infant formula. The GC analysis showed that human milk and Lacprodan have a similar FA profile with higher levels of unsaturated FAs as compared to cow milk. In-depth lipidomic analysis by MS/MS^ALL revealed that each type of milk sample comprised distinct composition of molecular lipid species. Lipid class composition showed that the human and cow milk contain a higher proportion of triacylglycerols (TAGs) as compared to Lacprodan. Notably, the MS/MS^ALL analysis demonstrated that the similar FA profile of human milk and Lacprodan determined by GC analysis is attributed to the composition of individual TAG species in human milk and glycerophospholipid species in Lacprodan. Moreover, the analysis of TAG molecules in Lacprodan and cow milk showed a high proportion of short-chain FAs that could not be monitored by GC analysis. The results presented here show that complementary GC and MS/MS^ALL analysis is a powerful approach for characterization of molecular lipid species in milk and milk products.