Improving human donor milk for pre-term infants
Ningjian Liang's research reveals how high pressure and ultraviolet-C processing can maintain beneficial bioactive proteins in donor milk for premature infants.
Among the many resources in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the power of human milk to meet the needs of term and preterm infants is vital, as it is considered the best available nutrient source. Yet many lactating parents in the NICU are faced with challenges that prevent them from producing enough milk; leaving them to rely on lifesaving human donor milk to supplement their supply. And ensuring food safety standards are met for human donor milk is essential for these tiny patients.
Traditionally, human donor milk is subject to Holder pasteurization, a process that enhances the microbial safety of the milk but at the same time damages many bioactive milk proteins. Herein lies the quandary: these same proteins are part of the power of human milk – they have been found to protect infants against infection, aid in nutrient digestion and absorption in the gut, and have even been shown to guide functional development in preterm infants and protect against disease. There is a critical need to maintain these bioactive proteins in human donor milk while also maintaining microbial safety.
Enter the work of Dr. Ningjian Liang, a postdoctoral scholar and Moore Family Center (MFC) partner working in the Dallas Lab in the College of Health at Oregon State University, who published two recent papers revealing promising new approaches for processing human donor milk in a way that maintains much of these beneficial bioactive proteins.
These approaches are called high pressure processing and ultraviolet-C processing. MFC affiliate faculty member and professor in Food Science and Technology Joy Waite-Cusic’s team demonstrated that these processes provide strong protection against potential pathogens. The team is now working to examine the effects of these treatments on nutrient absorption in premature infants at Oregon Health and Sciences University with MFC affiliate faculty member Brian Scottoline.
Dr. Liang’s dedicated work with this project has resulted in a professorship position with the University of Idaho. We wish to extend a warm thank you, congratulations, and best wishes on this next step for Ningjian’s bright future, and look forward to many future collaborations!
“What makes this work so meaningful is the opportunity to foster stronger long-term growth and development in the most vulnerable human infants.” ~Dr. Liang
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