Abstract: A comparative analysis of the glyceride composition in infant formula powders (IFP) with five different fat sources and human milk (HM) was studied. The results showed that there were significant differences in the fat composition between HM and IFP. The content of diglyceride (DG) in HM was (7.84 ± 0.57)%, which was significantly higher than the maximum level in IFP, (1.26 ± 0.22)% (P < 0.05). DG(18:2/18:2) and DG(18:1/18:1) were the most abundant types of DG in HM, together accounting for more than 80% of the total DG. In terms of triglyceride (TG) composition, even though 1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoyl triglyceride (OPO) has been added to it, the content of TG(16:0/18:1/18:1) in IFE, whose maximum level was (6.70 ± 0.19)%, was significantly lower than that in HM, (7.92 ± 0.58)% (P < 0.05). In addition, the content of TG(16:1/17:2/22:6) in IFP, whose minimum level was (3.68 ± 0.67)%, was significantly higher than that in HM (0.02 ± 0.01)% (P < 0.05), indicating that the major existing form of C22:6 in IFP was different from that in HM. Although IFP was close to human milk in the composition of major fatty acids, the existing form of fatty acids in IFP was obviously different from that in HM.

Key words: infant formula powder; fat sources; human milk; glyceride; differential analysis