Sphingoid bases in infant formulas

Sphingolipids are a group of lipids present in all eukaryotic cells. They consist of a long-chain sphingoid base that is amide-bound to a fatty acid and a polar group on C-1 sphingosine. Sphingosine is the most widespread base in mammals. The goal of this study is to determine the concentrations of free and total sphingosine and sphinganine in infant formulas and human milk. Following the extraction of sphingolipids, base and acidic hydrolysis was preformed. Sphinganine and sphingosine were determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. The results of this research illustrate the differences between the concentrations of sphingoid bases in infant formulas and human milk. On the basis of the obtained results, it can be concluded that despite all efforts made to produce infant formulas as similar to human milk as possible, in terms of their structure and the amount of their constituents, there are differences that could be biologically significant and thus need to be further researched.