Metabolic hormones in human breast milk are preserved by high hydrostatic pressure processing but reduced by Holder pasteurization

In human milk banks (HMBs), donor milk (DM) is commonly sterilized by Holder pasteurization (HoP). High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing is an innovative, alternative method for DM sterilization. We evaluated the impact of HHP processing on the concentration of seven metabolic milk hormones. Eight samples of raw DM were aliquoted. One aliquot was sterilized by HoP (62 degrees C for 30 min), and another was processed by HHP (350 MPa at 38 degrees C). Compared with raw DM, HoP milk displayed reduced concentrations of insulin, nesfatin-1, cortisol, leptin, apelin and GLP-1, though adiponectin levels were unchanged. HHP processing maintained the levels of insulin, nesfatin-1, cortisol and leptin at their initial levels in raw DM, reduced apelin and adiponectin levels, but increased GLP-1 level. Sterilization of DM by HHP thus preserves the main metabolic hormones in human milk, underlining the interest of this method for use in HMBs.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the impact of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing on the concentration of metabolic hormones in donor milk (DM). Compared with Holder pasteurization (HoP), HHP processing maintained the levels of insulin, nesfatin-1, cortisol, and leptin in raw DM, while reducing apelin and adiponectin levels and increasing GLP-1 level.