α-Tocopherol and retinol content in Holder pasteurized versus high-pressure processed human milk during 6 months of storage

Human milk is a vital source of nutrition for infants providing essential nutrients for optimal growth and development. However, the processing methods applied to ensure its safety may affect its nutritional composition. The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional profile of alpha-tocopherol and retinol content in human milk, both raw and processed by Holder pasteurization or high-pressure processing. Our study followed a design that included milk samples obtained from 12 female donors (age ranged from 30 to 38) in the lactation period up to 6 months after delivery. Every milk sample was divided into four groups: (i) no treatment, (ii) subjected to Holder pasteurization (HP), (iii) and (iv) subjected to high-pressure processing (HPP), which differed in the way the pressure was applied. The results showed that both HP and HPP significantly affected the nutritional profile of the milk. Retinol level was approximately 20 % lower after both treatments than in untreated milk. The main difference was in tocopherol levels, which decreased by 46 % after HP, whereas these concentrations decreased by only 26 % in the cumulative pressure HPP-treated samples. These results suggest that the use of HPP should be considered as a prospective approach to human milk processing. Since HPP has advantages in preserving heatsensitive compounds and the levels of vitamin E decrease less.