The composition and contents of oligosaccharides in two mixed samples of human breast milk were determined and the effect of the human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) on the proliferation of two probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium Bb-12 and Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 was evaluated in this study. The results showed that the HMOs contents of the two mixed samples were 10.613 and 5.093 g/L respectively. This significant difference indicated that HMOs contents in breast milk from different mothers are affected by many factors, generally ranging between 5 and 15 g/L. 2’-FL promoted the growth of both priobiotics, indicating that the probiotics could utilize HMOs for growth and proliferation.

Human bone growth peaks in adulthood after going through infancy, childhood and adolescence. Maximization of bone mass increment before adulthood and paying attention to bone health in middle and old age are important measures to prevent osteoporosis. Dairy products are an important source of nutrients for bone health, especially those fortified with bioactive substances beneficial for bone health for different populations. In this paper, the bioactive substances used in dairy products to strengthen bones are summarized, and the relationship between consumption of fortified dairy products and bone health in middle-aged and elderly people is reviewed.

With increasing knowledge about the distribution and beneficial bioactivities of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), especially prebiotic activities that modulate the human gut microbiota, HMOs have received growing research attention. However, the application of HMOs is generally difficult. The challenges are the special selection of suitable HMOs for infant formula and the limited amount of HMOs from natural sources. In the literature, there are few studies on the content of special HMOs and their impact on infant health outcomes. In this article, the current status of research on the complex composition, possible sources, functions and safety of HMOs are summarized with focus on the state-of-the-art in these regards. Finally, an outlook on future research directions is given.

The fat composition of human milk is distinct from that of milk from other mammals and vegetable oils. Breast milk is considered the optimal food source for neonates; however it is not always available for the development of infants. Manufacturing infant formulas that simulate the composition and function of breast milk is therefore of great importance to optimize outcomes of formula-fed infants, and infant formulas that simulate the fat composition of human milk have been developed consequently. With the continuous progress in nutritional science, advancements have been made in simulating breast milk at the triglyceride level. This paper reviews recent progress in infant formulas simulating the fat composition of human milk.

β-casein is the major casein component in human milk. Adjusting the content of β-casein in infant formula can make the protein and amino acid composition closer to that of human milk. In this paper the amino acid composition and spatial structure of β-casein are described, and the differences in some characteristics between human and cow milk β-casein are compared. Moreover, the functional characteristics of β-casein and its application in infant formula are also discussed. This review is expected to provide useful information for the development of new infant formula products.

It is known that there is a negative correlation between the dietary intake of dairy products and the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MS). One or multiple dairy ingredients together can directly affect some characteristic indexes of MS. In particular, minerals such as calcium and magnesium, whey protein, bioactive peptide and conjugated linoleic acid in dairy products have been proved to be helpful to improve the characteristic indexes of MS. In this paper, the preventive effect of dairy products on MS and the underlying mechanisms are summarized.

Alpha-lactalbumin (α-LA) is a major protein component of breast milk. Therefore, humanization of α-LA from mammalian milk should be an important part of the study aimed to develop infant formula simulating the major protein components in breast milk. The structure of α-LA is described in terms of amino acid composition and stereostructure in this article. Moreover, the functional characteristics of α-LA and its application in infant formula are also discussed, which is expected to provide useful information for researchers in this field.

Phellinus baumii is a highly-valued medicinal mushroom. In the current study, inhibitory effects of different concentrations of the 95% ethanol extract from Phellinus baumii were examined on Gram-positive, Gram-negative, molds and yeasts. The results showed that the Phellinus baumii ethanol extract at concentrations in the range of 0.1 to 5 mg/mL was effective against the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi and could obviously control the total number of bacteria in milk without having any significant adverse impact on beneficial bacteria. Meanwhile, the extract had a broader antimicrobial spectrum than antimicrobials such as nisin, suggesting its potential application for inhibiting harmful microorganisms in milk and dairy products.

Human milk oligosaccharides, beneficial to infant growth and development, are oligosaccharides naturally occurring in human milk. This paper describes the composition and functions of human milk oligosaccharides as well as their role in infant growth and analyzes the reason for adding oligosaccharides in infant formula, aiming to provide useful guidelines for the research and development of infant formula foods.

The unified dietary reference intakes (DRIs) have been introduced in China. Nevertheless, there are wide regional variations in dietary intake and nutritional status of lactating mothers across the country, which are associated with geographic environment, life style, socio-economic and culture factors, education level, etc even within the same region. The nutritional status of both lactating mothers and their infants is influenced by maternal dietary intake. Hence, understanding of dietary intake and nutritional status of lactating mothers from different regions of China is meaningful for formulating appropriate guidelines.