31P NMR-Based Phospholipid Fingerprinting of Powdered Infant Formula.

Infant formula (IF), regarded as the optimal substitute for human breast milk, is very important for infant growth and development. Phospholipids (PLs) are ubiquitous components of infant formula as they have good emulsifier properties in addition to their nutritional and biological functions. In this study, the PL contents in four different commercial IF brands (indicated as A, M, O, and W) were characterized and quantified using optimized 31P NMR spectroscopy. PLs (nine) were identified and quantified, and among these, phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin occurred at lower concentrations (5.72 and 8.89 mg/100 g, respectively) in IFs from brand O, whereas phosphatidic acid was higher (2.83 mg/100 g) in IFs from brand W. In summary, 31P NMR spectroscopy, combined with the multivariate data analysis, proved to be an effective analytical toolbox for evaluating the PL contents in IF and the comparative differences between IF brands.