Formulations based on milk fat globule membrane as delivery systems for DHA and lutein: effects on lipid composition and immunomodulatory properties

Abstract The incorporation of bioactive lipids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and lutein, into food formulations represents a significant challenge due to their chemical instability and low water solubility. This study investigated the potential of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM)-based formulations as carrier systems for DHA and lutein, comparing their lipidic composition and biological activity (cytotoxicity and immunomodulatory properties) with control formulations prepared with bile salts. Lipid characterization revealed the presence of a greater variety of lipid classes, particularly polar lipids, in the MFGM formulations than in the controls. Bioactivity studies using THP1-Lucia™ NF-κB cells demonstrated that the MFGM-lutein formulation exhibited strong immunosuppressive effects at different concentrations (1:600–1:200 dilutions in PBS), inhibiting the NF-κB pathway by 69% at the 1:200 dilution without compromising cell viability. The MFGM-DHA formulation also showed significant immunosuppressive effects, but only when combined with lutein, suggesting that lutein may play a protective role in preventing DHA oxidation. In contrast, the control formulations displayed no evidence of immunosuppressive effects and high cytotoxicity. Thus, these preliminary findings suggest the potential of MFGM-based formulations as effective carrier systems of bioactive lipids, such as DHA and lutein, and contribute to advancing our understanding of their immunomodulatory potential.