Compositions and their use
A synthetic nutritional composition comprising a vitamin for use to promote, support or optimise de novo myelination, in particular the de novo myelination trajectory, and/or brain structure, and/or brain connectivity, and/or intellectual potential and/or cognitive potential and/or learning potential and/or cognitive functioning in a subject, in particular a formula fed subject.
1. A method for promoting, supporting or optimizing de novo myelination, and/or brain structure, and/or brain connectivity, and/or intellectual potential, and/or cognitive potential, and/or learning potential and/or cognitive functioning in a formula fed subject, the method comprising:
administering to the formula fed subject a synthetic nutritional composition comprising vitamin B12 in an amount of 4 to 8.5 mcg/100 g dry weight of the composition,
wherein the brain structure refers to an amount and/or spatial distribution of myelinated matter throughout the brain, and/or in specific brain regions, and wherein the cognitive function is optimized if the formula fed subject's scores in a standardized neurodevelopmental test are less than one standard deviation different from that of an exclusively breastfed subject of a well-nourished mother.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the formula fed subject is a human infant or child.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic nutritional composition further comprises folic acid.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the synthetic nutritional composition comprises the folic acid in an amount greater than 50 mcg/100 g dry weight of the composition.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic nutritional composition further comprises an ingredient selected from the group consisting of a mineral, choline, a phospholipid, and a fatty acid derivative.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the mineral is selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, copper and combinations thereof; wherein the fatty acid derivative comprises docosahexaenoic acid and/or arachidonic acid and/or stearic acid and/or nervonic acid, and wherein the phospholipid is a compound of formula (I) or a mixture of compounds of formula (I)
wherein,
R 1 is O;
X is NH or O;
R 2 is a C2-C44 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched acyl group;
R 3 is a substituent of formula (II) or formula (III):
Wherein, R 5 is a C2-C44 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched acyl group and
R 6 is a C2-C44 saturated alkyl or alkenyl group; and
R 4 is selected from a C5 or C6 substituted or unsubstituted cyclic alkyl or alkenyl group, or,
—(CH 2 ) n —R 7 , wherein n is an integer ranging from 1 to 4, and R 7 is —N(CH 3 ) 3 + , NH 3 + , or a substituent of formula (IV) and,
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the phospholipid is selected from the group consisting of sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositole, phosphatidylserine, and mixtures of the foregoing.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic nutritional composition further comprises at least one additional ingredient selected from the group consisting of (a) iron in an amount greater than 5 mg/100 g dry weight of the composition, (b) sphingomyelin in an amount greater than 300 mg/kg dry weight of the composition, (c) a fatty acid derivative comprising docosahexaenoic acid in an amount of 60 to 350 mg/100 g dry weight of the composition, and (d) a fatty acid derivative comprising arachidonic acid in an amount of 60 to 350 mg/100 g dry weight of the composition.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic nutritional composition is selected from the group consisting of an infant formula, a growing up milk, a composition for infants intended to be added or diluted with human breast milk, and a food stuff intended for consumption by an infant and/or child either alone or in combination with human breast milk.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the formula fed subject to whom the composition is administered is an infant of 9 months of age or less.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the formula fed subject to whom the composition is administered is an infant of 6 months of age or less.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the formula fed subject to whom the composition is administered is an infant of 3 months of age or less.
13. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the n is an integer ranging from 1 to 2.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vitamin B12 is in an amount of 5 to 8 mcg/100 g dry weight of the composition.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is for promoting, supporting or optimizing the de novo myelination trajectory.
16. A method to promote, support or optimise de novo myelination, and/or brain structure, and/or brain connectivity, and/or intellectual potential, and/or cognitive potential, and/or learning potential and/or cognitive functioning in a subject, the method comprising:
feeding to the subject a composition comprising vitamin B12 in an amount of 4 to 8.5 mcg/100 g dry weight of the composition, and the composition further comprising at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of a mineral, choline, a phospholipid, and a fatty acid derivative,
wherein the brain structure refers to an amount and/or spatial distribution of myelinated matter throughout the brain, and/or in specific brain regions, and wherein the cognitive function is optimised if the subject's scores in a standardized neurodevelopmental test are less than one standard deviation different from that of an exclusively breastfed subject of a well-nourished mother.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the subject to whom the composition is fed is an infant of 9 months of age or less.
18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the subject to whom the composition is fed is an infant of 6 months of age or less.
19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the subject to whom the composition is fed is an infant of 3 months of age or less.
20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the method is to promote, support or optimize the de novo myelination trajectory.