Evaluation of the Lipid Quality of Lyophilized Pasteurized Human Milk for Six Months by GC-FID and ESI-MS

Human milk (HM) lipids provide about 50% energy and facilitate the transport and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins for infants, but their composition should be studied when the milk is processed. This study evaluated the lipid quality of lyophilized and vacuum-packed colostrum (C), transitional (T), and mature (M) HM for a period of 1, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days of storage at –18 ºC. From the acidity (ºDornic), lipid content, and fatty acid (FA) composition results, no significant differences in the analyzed period were observed. The relative percentage of major triacylglycerols (TAG) of the HM was not altered, showing that the lyophilization process in HM is a good alternative that could be applied in human milk banks (HMB), increasing HM preservation and facilitating its transport and storage.