Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2017 Mar;5(2):63-72. 10.4168/aard.2017.5.2.63.

Development and properties of hypoallergenic infant formula

• Ha WK
• Lee J
• Kim KE

• KMID: 2392376
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2017.5.2.63

Abstract

Milk proteins are composed of casein, further classified into αS1-casein, αS2-casein, β-casein, and κ-casein, and whey protein, which is separated into α-lacatalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, serum albumin, and some minor proteins, such as lactoferrin and immunoglobulin. To reduce the allergenicity of protein, heat treatment and enzymatic protein hydrolysis by endopeptidase are necessarily required. Additionally, membrane technology should be applied to produce a protein hydrolyzate, which has consistent molecular weight of peptide and low in free amino acid without allergenic peptide or protein. Extensive casein hydrolyzate and whey protein hydrolyzate are used for protein source of mainly extensively hydrolyzed protein formula (eHF) intended for the treatment of cow's milk allergy. Also, partially hydrolyzed formula (pHF) is developed, which is using a single protein source e.g., whey protein hydrolyzate. The allergenicity of infant formula can be determined according to molecular weight profile and antigenicity reduction compared to intact protein. More than 90% peptides are present in eHF have a molecular weight of <3,000 Da. Peptide molecular weight profiles of pHF range mainly between 3,000 and 10,000 Da, but have a small percentage of >10,000 Da. Generally, antigenicity reduction in eHF and pHF is 10-6 and 10-3, respectively. Even if protein hydrolyzate is manufactured under strict quality control, there is still a risk of cross contamination of allergenic milk components through environmental conditions and the shared manufacturing process. Thus, quality assessment of protein hydrolyzate formula must be performed routinely.

Keyword

Major milk allergen; Enzymatic hydrolysis; Antigenicity; Allergenicity; Hypoallergenic infant formula

MeSH Terms

Caseins
Hot Temperature
Humans
Hydrolysis
Immunoglobulins
Infant Formula*
Infant*
Lactoferrin
Membranes
Milk
Milk Hypersensitivity
Milk Proteins
Molecular Weight
Peptides
Quality Control
Serum Albumin
Whey Proteins
Caseins
Immunoglobulins
Lactoferrin
Milk Proteins
Peptides
Serum Albumin
Whey Proteins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Peptide chain length of global commercial partial and extensive protein hydrolysate formula. pWPH, partial whey protein hydrolysate; eCNH, extensive casein hydrolysate; eWPH, extensive whey protein hydrolysate; Da, Dalton.

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