Wang Shumin, Zheng Chengdong, Bu Chaozhi, Guo Danying, Zhang Chengcheng, Xie Qinggang, Pan Jiancun, Sun Jianguo, Chen Wei, Jiang Shilong, Zhai Qixiao
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
Heilongjiang Feihe Dairy Co., Ltd., C-16, 10A Jiuxianqiao Rd., Chaoyang, Beijing 100015, China; PKUHSC-China Feihe Joint Research Institute of Nutrition and Healthy Lifespan Development, Xueyuan Road 38, Haidian, Beijing 100083, China.
Food Res Int. 2025 Jun;211:116488. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116488. Epub 2025 Apr 21.
The infant gut microbiome, which develops from birth, has profound and lasting effects on human health. Its establishment in early life is influenced by events such as delivery mode and feeding type. This study examined the effects of formula milk enriched with sn-2 palmitate on the gut microbiota of healthy term infants. We conducted a 16-week comparative analysis of three feeding groups: infants receiving high sn-2 palmitate formula (n = 30), regular vegetable oil formula (n = 32), and breast milk (n = 30). Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the gut microbiota. While overall microbial composition and diversity were comparable across groups, the functional profile of the microbiome in infants receiving sn-2 palmitate-enriched formula more closely resembled that of breastfed infants compared to the control formula group. This similarity extended to microbial species interactions, virulence gene abundance, and metabolic pathway expression patterns. In addition, sn-2 palmitate promoted the proliferation of Bifidobacterium breve and enhanced the robustness of the gut microbial ecology. Notably, the phylogenetic analysis of B. breve strains in the sn-2 palmitate group showed closer alignment with the breastfed group compared to the control group. These findings suggest that sn-2 palmitate-enriched formula may confer gut microbiota functional benefits that more closely resemble those of breast milk compared to control formula milk. This study provides scientific evidence for the development of future functional infant formulas.
婴儿肠道微生物群从出生时开始发育，对人类健康有着深远而持久的影响。其在生命早期的建立受到分娩方式和喂养类型等因素的影响。本研究考察了富含sn-2棕榈酸酯的配方奶对健康足月儿肠道微生物群的影响。我们对三个喂养组进行了为期16周的比较分析：接受高sn-2棕榈酸酯配方奶的婴儿（n = 30）、常规植物油配方奶的婴儿（n = 32）和母乳喂养的婴儿（n = 30）。通过对粪便样本进行鸟枪法宏基因组测序，我们对肠道微生物群进行了全面评估。虽然各组之间的总体微生物组成和多样性相当，但与对照配方奶组相比，接受富含sn-2棕榈酸酯配方奶的婴儿体内微生物群的功能谱更类似于母乳喂养婴儿的功能谱。这种相似性延伸到微生物物种相互作用、毒力基因丰度和代谢途径表达模式。此外，sn-2棕榈酸酯促进了短双歧杆菌的增殖，并增强了肠道微生物生态的稳健性。值得注意的是，与对照组相比，sn-2棕榈酸酯组中短双歧杆菌菌株的系统发育分析显示与母乳喂养组的亲缘关系更密切。这些发现表明，与对照配方奶相比，富含sn-2棕榈酸酯的配方奶可能赋予肠道微生物群更类似于母乳的功能益处。本研究为未来功能性婴儿配方奶的开发提供了科学依据。
