Digestive Behavior of Minerals in Infant Formulas: An In Vitro Study of Casein Phosphopeptides, 1,3-Dioleoyl-2-Palmitoylglycerol, and Lactoferrin Fortification

Abstract

The bioavailability of minerals in breast milk (BM) and infant formula (IF) plays a crucial role in infant nutrition and development. This study investigated the effects of casein phosphopeptides (CPP), 1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoyl-glycerol (OPO), and lactoferrin (LTF) on mineral content and bioaccessibility following in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. In vitro dynamic digestion was performed, and the mineral content was quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results revealed that the combination of CPP, OPO, and LTF significantly increased the bioaccessibility of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) compared to that in the control sample. The bioaccessibility values are 12.4–20.7% (Ca), 11.3–55.2% (Fe), 13.6–28.2% (Mg), and 12.7–25.6% (Zn). These findings suggest that incorporating CPP, OPO, and LTF into infant formulas may enhance mineral bioavailability, potentially supporting better mineral absorption and improving infant nutrition.