Neural development food containing DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and choline and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of food science and technology, and particularly discloses a neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline and a preparation method of the neurodevelopment food. Comprising DHA powder, a choline source, soybean peptide powder, compound amino acid, a carbohydrate source, a fat source, a vitamin mixture, a mineral mixture, prebiotics and a natural antioxidant mixture. The preparation method comprises the following steps: firstly, carrying out microencapsulation treatment on the soybean peptide powder and the DHA powder, then preparing a premix of the vitamins and the carbohydrates as well as the minerals and the fat, then mixing the microencapsulated product with other raw materials such as the compound amino acid and the choline source to obtain a primary mixture, adding the premix, carrying out high-pressure homogenization, carrying out ultrahigh-temperature instantaneous sterilization and spray drying to obtain granules, and finally, carrying out freeze-drying to obtain the feed additive. And finally performing low-humidity vacuum packaging. The product can be used for nutrition support of infant neurodevelopment and has the advantages of being high in nutrition adaptability and capable of accurately assisting healthy development of nerves. The preparation method can protect active ingredients, ensure uniform nutrition and guarantee product stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of food science and technology, and more specifically, to a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline and a method for preparing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Infancy is a critical period for nervous system development. During this stage, nerve cell proliferation, synapse formation, and nerve signal transmission require precise nutritional support. DHA is an essential component of nerve cell membranes, directly involved in nerve cell structure building and functional maintenance. Choline is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and is crucial for cognitive development. Soy peptides, complex amino acids, vitamins, and minerals provide high-quality protein sources, regulate the metabolic environment, and assist DHA and choline in their functions. Therefore, infant and toddler complementary foods should provide targeted nutritional support for nerve development through the synergistic combination of these ingredients, promoting healthy nervous system development.

[0003] However, there are core technical problems with the current infant and toddler complementary food nutritional supplements on the market: existing products do not build a synergistic nutritional system with DHA and choline as the core ingredients. They either only add DHA or choline alone, or they do not scientifically combine the two with nutrients such as soy peptide powder, compound amino acids, vitamins and minerals to form a synergistic effect. As a result, various nutrients cannot work together efficiently to perform their functions, and it is difficult to accurately match the needs of infants and toddlers for the synergistic supply of multiple nutrients for neurodevelopment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problem that existing infant complementary food supplements do not provide precise nutritional support for infant neurodevelopment, resulting in insignificant effects on promoting healthy nervous system development, this application provides a neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline and its preparation method.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline, employing the following technical solution: A neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline, by weight, is composed of the following components: 50-70 parts soy peptide powder, 10-30 parts complex amino acids, 15-40 parts carbohydrate source, 10-25 parts fat source, 5-15 parts vitamin mixture, 3-10 parts mineral mixture, 2-8 parts DHA powder, 1-5 parts choline source, 2-5 parts prebiotics, and 0.5-1.5 parts natural antioxidant mixture. The carbohydrate source is selected from at least one of solid corn syrup, anhydrous glucose, and maltodextrin; the fat source is selected from at least one of vegetable oil powder and medium-chain triglyceride powder.

[0006] By employing the above technical solutions, soybean peptide powder provides easily absorbed small molecule peptides to supplement high-quality protein, while compound amino acids provide a variety of essential and non-essential amino acids for precise amino acid supplementation. Together, these provide the basic substances for infant metabolism and nerve cell synthesis. Carbohydrates, selected from at least one of solid corn syrup, anhydrous glucose, and maltodextrin, provide readily available energy, while fats, selected from at least one of vegetable oil powder and medium-chain triglyceride powder, provide energy and aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. These two components synergistically provide energy support for nervous system development. A vitamin mixture supplements specific vitamins needed for infant nerve development, while a mineral mixture supplements key minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc. These two components support nerve cell function maintenance from the vitamin and mineral levels, respectively. DHA powder participates in the construction of nerve cell membrane structures, and choline sources support neurotransmission. The formula utilizes two key components to specifically support neural development: choline source (choline bitartrate) and prebiotics (galacto-oligosaccharides). Prebiotics help regulate gut microbiota balance, creating a favorable intestinal environment for nutrient absorption. Natural antioxidant blends inhibit the oxidation of DHA, vitamins, and other easily oxidized components, ensuring the activity of all nutrients during storage and digestion. Through the synergistic effect of these specific components, comprehensive nutritional support for infant neural development is achieved. Solid corn syrup has a DE value range of 20 to 40; anhydrous glucose is an injection-grade raw material conforming to the standards of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China; maltodextrin has a DE value below 20; vegetable oil powder is a powder made from soybean oil and sunflower seed oil through spray drying, with a fat content of not less than 50%; and medium-chain triglyceride powder contains not less than 90% medium-chain fatty acids (C8-C10).

[0007] Preferably, the vitamin mixture comprises: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K1, B vitamins, vitamin C, nicotinamide, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin; Furthermore, every 100g of neurodevelopment food contains 800-1200μgRE of vitamin A, 15-25μg of vitamin D, 35-50μg of vitamin K1, and 120-180mg of vitamin C.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the vitamin mixture contains vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K1, B vitamins, vitamin C, niacinamide, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin, and the specific content range of each vitamin is defined per 100g of neurodevelopment food. Vitamin A plays a role in maintaining the development of the visual nerves and the health of epithelial tissues in infants and young children. This content range matches the recommended daily intake of vitamin A for infants and young children, ensuring effective supply and avoiding excessive intake. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption and helps maintain nerve cell function, providing support for the calcium ion balance required for nerve signal transmission. Vitamin K1 participates in the coagulation process and supports nerve cell protection, helping to maintain the stability of nerve tissue. B vitamins participate in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, providing metabolic support for neurotransmitter synthesis. The vitamins play a crucial role in the overall development of infants and young children. Vitamin C helps scavenge free radicals, protects nerve cells from oxidative damage, and promotes collagen synthesis to aid in nerve tissue repair. Nicotinamide participates in energy metabolism and maintains the normal physiological functions of nerve cells. Folic acid participates in nucleic acid synthesis and supports nerve cell proliferation and differentiation, meeting the needs of rapid nerve cell development in infants and young children. Pantothenic acid acts as a coenzyme in metabolic reactions, assisting in neurotransmitter synthesis and maintaining nerve cell function. Biotin participates in fat and protein metabolism, providing metabolic support for nerve development. Through the complementary functions of each vitamin and precise content control, the system ensures adequate vitamin nutrition support for the nerve development and overall health of infants and young children, avoiding the negative impact of vitamin deficiencies or inappropriate content on the supportive effects of nerve development.

[0009] Preferably, the mineral mixture comprises: calcium, iron, and zinc; Furthermore, every 100g of neurodevelopment food contains 800-1200mg of calcium, 15-25mg of iron, and 10-15mg of zinc.

[0010] By employing the above technical solutions, calcium plays a role in the signal transmission process of nerve cells. The generation and conduction of nerve impulses depend on the transmembrane flow of calcium ions. This content range matches the recommended daily calcium intake for infants and young children, meeting the needs for maintaining nerve cell function and providing basic support for bone development. Iron participates in hemoglobin synthesis to ensure oxygen supply to nerve cells. Nerve cells have vigorous metabolic activity and high oxygen demand; sufficient iron can prevent hypoxia from affecting nerve cell proliferation and synapse formation, while maintaining the activity of enzymes related to neurotransmitter synthesis. Zinc participates in the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of nerve cells. This content range matches the zinc metabolic needs of infants and young children during their neurodevelopment stage, helping to maintain the normal physiological function of nerve tissue. Furthermore, through the complementary functions of calcium, iron, and zinc and precise content control, appropriate mineral nutritional support is ensured for the neurodevelopment of infants and young children, avoiding the impact of mineral deficiencies or inappropriate content on nerve cell function and development.

[0011] Preferably, the natural antioxidant mixture comprises rosemary extract and tocopherol in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:3.

[0012] By employing the above technical solution, rosemary extract, containing phenolic antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid and caryophyllin, plays a role in capturing free radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation, specifically protecting easily oxidized nutrients such as DHA and vitamins in the product. Tocopherol, as a fat-soluble antioxidant, blocks free radical chain reactions, protects cell membranes and the stability of fat-soluble components, and forms a synergistic antioxidant effect with rosemary extract. When the weight ratio of the two is between 1:1 and 1:3, it balances the range of water-soluble and fat-soluble antioxidants, avoiding the problem of uneven distribution or insufficient antioxidant capacity of a single antioxidant component in the product system. This covers the antioxidant needs of fat-soluble components such as DHA and fat sources, while also ensuring the stability of water-soluble components such as vitamin C. Furthermore, through the complementary functions and specific ratio control of the two antioxidant components, the activity of easily oxidized nutrients is preserved during storage, transportation, and subsequent digestion, preventing the effective supply of nutrients required for nerve development due to component oxidation and ensuring the stability of the product's nutritional system.

[0013] Preferably, in the composite amino acid, the weight ratio of L-glutamine to L-arginine is (1.2-1.5):1.

[0014] By employing the above technical solution, L-glutamine plays a crucial role in providing energy substrates for nerve cells and participating in neurotransmitter synthesis, serving as a fundamental substance for nerve cell metabolism and synaptic signal transmission. L-arginine, on the other hand, participates in nitric oxide synthesis, regulates blood supply to nerve tissue, and assists in the excretion of metabolic waste products from nerve cells, thus creating a stable microenvironment for nerve cells. The combination of L-glutamine and L-arginine at a weight ratio of (1.2-1.5):1 balances the basic requirements of L-glutamine for nerve cell energy and neurotransmitter synthesis, as well as the regulatory requirements of L-arginine for the nerve tissue microenvironment. This avoids insufficient energy supply to nerve cells due to a low proportion of L-glutamine, or an excessively high proportion of L-arginine increasing the metabolic burden. Simultaneously, it ensures that the two amino acids work synergistically to provide suitable amino acid support for nerve cell proliferation and synapse formation. Furthermore, it forms a nutritional synergy with components such as soybean peptide powder, DHA, and choline, preventing an imbalance in the ratio of the two key amino acids from affecting the overall amino acid system's auxiliary effect on nerve development. This ensures that the compound amino acid precisely matches the specific amino acid requirements of infants' nerve development.

[0015] Secondly, this application provides a method for preparing a neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline, using the following technical solution: A method for preparing a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline includes the following steps: S1. Microencapsulation of active ingredients: S1.1. Mix soybean peptide powder with maltodextrin solution with a mass fraction of 2%-5% at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:(5-10), and after homogenization, obtain soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension. S1.2. Mix DHA powder with sodium caseinate solution with a mass fraction of 3%-6% at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:(8-12), and after ultrasonic treatment, obtain DHA microencapsulated suspension. S2. Preparation of premix: The vitamin mixture is premixed with a portion of the carbohydrate source to obtain a vitamin premix; the mineral mixture is premixed with a portion of the fat source to obtain a mineral premix. S3. First mixing: The soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension and DHA microencapsulated suspension obtained in step S1 are mixed with the complex amino acids, choline source, remaining carbohydrate source, remaining fat source, prebiotics and natural antioxidant mixture to obtain a primary mixture. S4. Secondary mixing and homogenization: The vitamin premix and mineral premix obtained in step S2 are added to the primary mixture in equal increments. After mixing evenly, they are homogenized under high pressure to obtain a homogeneous mixture. S5. Sterilization and drying: After the homogeneous mixture is sterilized by ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, it is spray dried to obtain dried granules; S6. Finished Product Packaging: The dried granules are vacuum-packed in an environment with a relative humidity of ≤30%, wherein the vacuum degree is -0.06 to -0.09 MPa.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the microencapsulation treatment in step S1, which involves mixing and homogenizing soybean peptide powder with maltodextrin solution and mixing and sonicating DHA powder with sodium caseinate solution, serves to construct a protective layer for soybean peptides and DHA, reducing their decomposition loss during subsequent processing and digestion, while improving their dispersibility in the system. Step S2 involves premixing vitamins with some carbohydrates and minerals with some fats separately, utilizing matrix compatibility to improve the uniformity of trace component dispersion and preventing aggregation of vitamins and minerals due to direct mixing. Step S3 involves mixing the microencapsulated components with other raw materials... The initial mixing of raw materials serves to establish a uniform matrix for subsequent addition of premixes. Step S4 involves adding premixes in equal increments and homogenizing under high pressure to ensure the uniform distribution of trace amounts of vitamins and minerals throughout the system. High pressure also refines the particles, improving system homogeneity. Step S5 uses ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization to kill microorganisms while minimizing heat damage to nutrients. Spray drying rapidly forms dry granules, ensuring product safety and preserving nutritional activity. Step S6 involves vacuum packaging in a low-humidity environment with controlled vacuum levels to prevent moisture absorption and oxidation of the dry granules, maintaining product stability. Through the synergistic effect of these steps, the stability and uniformity of nutrients such as DHA, choline, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in the product are ensured, providing a technological guarantee for their synergistic effects in infant neurological development.

[0017] Preferably, in step S1.1, the homogenization process is carried out at a pressure of 30-50 MPa for 2-3 cycles; in step S1.2, the ultrasonic process is carried out at a power of 200-300 W, a frequency of 20-30 kHz, and a duration of 15-25 min.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the homogenization treatment in step S1.1 uses a pressure of 30-50 MPa and is cyclicated 2-3 times. This pressure range allows the soybean peptide powder and maltodextrin solution to be fully mixed under high pressure shearing, promoting the formation of a uniform and dense microcapsule membrane on the surface of the soybean peptides by maltodextrin. Cycling 2-3 times further refines the microcapsule particle size and ensures the integrity of the encapsulation, avoiding the problem of loose microcapsule structure or uneven treatment in a single cycle due to insufficient pressure, thus enhancing the microencapsulation effect of soybean peptides. In step S1.2, the ultrasonic treatment uses a power of 200-300W, a frequency of 20-30kHz, and is lasted for 15-25 minutes. This power and frequency can generate suitable mechanical vibration and cavitation effect, allowing the DHA powder to be fully dispersed in the sodium caseinate solution. At the same time, it promotes the orderly encapsulation of DHA particles by sodium caseinate molecules. The treatment time of 15-25 minutes ensures sufficient encapsulation and avoids DHA oxidation or sodium caseinate denaturation due to prolonged ultrasonication, thus optimizing the dispersibility and stability of DHA microencapsulation. Furthermore, by controlling the parameters of homogenization and ultrasound as described above, the microencapsulation effect of soybean peptides and DHA is improved, and the microencapsulation structure is more stable. This ensures that the loss of components is reduced and the dispersion uniformity in the product system is improved during subsequent processing, and ensures that the two active ingredients can be effectively retained and play their role in the final product.

[0019] Preferably, in step S4, the equal-increment method specifically involves: first mixing the vitamin premix with an equal weight of the primary mixture until homogeneous, and then mixing this mixture with the remaining mixture.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, this operation first solves the problem of the vitamin premix being used in relatively small amounts compared to the primary mixture, and the potential for localized agglomeration or uneven concentration when added directly. First, mixing in equal weight ratios allows the small amount of vitamin premix to be fully dispersed in the small volume of the primary mixture, forming a more homogeneous transition mixture and avoiding mixing dead zones caused by large differences in volume. Then, when the transition mixture is mixed with the remaining primary mixture, the uniformly dispersed vitamin particles in the transition mixture further diffuse into the overall system, ensuring that the vitamin premix has no localized areas of excessively high or low concentration in the final homogenized mixture. Simultaneously, this stepwise mixing method reduces direct and intense contact between the vitamin premix and other components in the primary mixture, preventing stability changes in some vitamins due to excessively high local concentrations. This lays a uniform material foundation for the subsequent high-pressure homogenization process, ensuring that vitamins remain evenly distributed in the system after homogenization. Ultimately, this guarantees that every serving of the neurodevelopmental food in the final product contains a balanced amount of vitamins, meeting the precise vitamin intake needs of infants and young children, avoiding nutritional imbalances caused by uneven mixing, and supporting the synergistic effects of vitamins with components such as DHA and choline.

[0021] Preferably, in step S5, the ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization is performed at 135-145℃ for 3-5 seconds; the inlet air temperature of the spray drying is 160-180℃, and the outlet air temperature is 70-80℃.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization conditions in step S5 are limited to 135-145℃ for 3-5 seconds. This temperature range can effectively kill bacteria, molds, and other microorganisms that may exist in the homogenized mixture, ensuring the safety of the product for consumption. The short treatment time of 3-5 seconds can minimize the decomposition and loss of heat-sensitive nutrients such as DHA and vitamins caused by prolonged high temperatures, avoiding the destruction of nutritional activity caused by traditional long-term sterilization processes. At the same time, the inlet air temperature of spray drying is limited to 160-180℃ and the outlet air temperature to 70-80℃. The inlet air temperature can quickly evaporate the water in the homogenized mixture to form dry particles, avoiding the oxidation or clumping of components caused by prolonged material residence. The outlet air temperature is controlled at 70-80℃ to ensure that the moisture content of the dry particles is stable within the range of ≤5%, which prevents the particles from absorbing moisture and deteriorating due to excessive moisture, and also prevents the particles from becoming too loose and brittle due to excessive moisture, ensuring the stability of the product's physical form. Furthermore, by synergistically adjusting sterilization and drying parameters, the activity of core nutrients such as DHA, choline, and vitamins is preserved to the maximum extent while ensuring the product's microbial safety. At the same time, dry granules with good physical stability are formed, laying the foundation for subsequent vacuum packaging and long-term storage, and ensuring that the finished product can continuously provide effective nutritional support for the neurological development of infants and young children.

[0023] Preferably, in step S5, the dried particles obtained by spray drying have a moisture content of ≤5%, and more than 95% of the particles have a particle size between 30 mesh and 100 mesh.

[0024] By employing the above technical solutions, the product effectively inhibits microbial growth and prevents granules from absorbing moisture and clumping. The low-moisture environment reduces the probability of hydrolysis or oxidation of easily oxidized components such as DHA and vitamins upon contact with moisture, while also preventing changes in the physical form of the granules due to moisture absorption, ensuring product stability during storage. With over 95% of the granules having a particle size between 30-100 mesh, the product balances solubility and physical stability. This particle size range ensures rapid dispersion and dissolution during preparation, preventing insufficient dissolution due to coarse particles that could affect swallowing and nutrient absorption in infants, while also preventing problems such as easy moisture absorption and poor flowability caused by overly fine particles, facilitating subsequent vacuum packaging and product handling. Furthermore, through the synergistic control of moisture content and particle size, the dried granules possess both good storage stability to retain nutritional activity and physical characteristics suitable for infant consumption, ensuring efficient release of core nutrients such as DHA, choline, and vitamins during consumption. This provides stable and easily absorbed nutritional support for infant neurological development, preventing issues caused by improper granule moisture or particle size that could affect product usability and nutritional supply.

[0025] In summary, this application has the following beneficial effects: 1. Since this application uses DHA powder and choline source as core components, and combines them with soy peptide powder, compound amino acids, vitamins and minerals to form a synergistic system, due to the key role of DHA and choline in supporting nerve cell development and neurotransmitter synthesis, combined with the auxiliary support of other nutrients, it has achieved the significant effect of providing precise nutritional support for the neurodevelopment of infants and young children and promoting the healthy development of the nervous system.

[0026] 2. In this application, rosemary extract and tocopherol are preferably combined in a specific weight ratio to form a natural antioxidant mixture. Since this natural antioxidant combination can have a synergistic protective effect with the unsaturated fatty acids in the system, especially DHA, it can effectively delay the oxidative deterioration of the product and maintain the bioactivity of DHA, thereby ensuring that the product maintains its nutritional value within its shelf life.

[0027] 3. The method of this application employs microencapsulation technology to process DHA powder and soybean peptide powder separately, uses an equal-incremental method to achieve uniform dispersion of trace components, and combines ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization with precise temperature-controlled drying. Due to the organic combination of these process steps, the activity of heat-sensitive nutrients is preserved to the maximum extent, and the safety and stability of the product are guaranteed, thus providing a full-process guarantee for product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a process for preparing a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline, as provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present application will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments and comparative examples.

[0030] Technical concept: In the field of nutritional supplements for infant and toddler neurodevelopment, existing technologies suffer from imprecise nutritional support and limited effectiveness. The core reasons are as follows: First, the ingredient system does not build a synergistic system around DHA and choline, two key components for neurodevelopment. They are often added alone or fail to form functional complementarity with nutrients such as soy peptide powder and compound amino acids, thus failing to meet the multidimensional needs of neurodevelopment. Second, the process lacks effective protection for soy peptides and DHA, and the micronutrients are not mixed evenly, leading to easy deactivation of ingredients and imbalance of nutrient concentration, making it difficult to provide stable nutritional support.

[0031] In terms of composition, this technical solution uses DHA and choline as the core, combined with soy peptide powder, compound amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. to build a synergistic nutritional system, ensuring that the nutrition matches the needs of neurodevelopment. In terms of process, microencapsulation is used to protect soy peptides and DHA, and premixing and equal incremental methods are used to solve the problem of uneven mixing of micronutrients. Combined with ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, spray drying and low humidity vacuum packaging, the activity, uniformity and storage stability of the ingredients are taken into account, ultimately achieving precise and stable nutritional support for the neurodevelopment of infants and young children.

[0032] The following are the main raw materials and reagents used in the preparation examples, embodiments, and comparative examples, and their sources and specifications are as follows; unless otherwise specified, all reagents are commercially available analytical grade or higher products: 1. Soybean peptide powder was purchased from Zhengzhou Gebes Food Additives Co., Ltd., model: food grade; 2. The compound amino acids were purchased from Ueno Chemical Co., Ltd. of Japan, with product batch number SEAA190317054; 3. DHA powder was purchased from Anhui Zhonghong Bioengineering Co., Ltd., product number: 142621; 4. Choline source (choline bitartrate) was purchased from Shanghai Yuanye Biotechnology Co., Ltd., product number S51455; 5. Prebiotics (galactooligosaccharides) were purchased from Jiangsu Duoyang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., CAS: 6587-31-1; 6. Rosemary extract was purchased from Fufeng Sinote Biotechnology Co., Ltd., CAS: 84604-14-8; 7. Tocopherol was purchased from Shandong Pingju Biotechnology Co., Ltd., CAS: 1406-18-4; 8. Maltodextrin was purchased from Shanghai Yuanye Biotechnology Co., Ltd., product number S11157; 9. Sodium caseinate was purchased from Shanghai Yuanye Biotechnology Co., Ltd., product number S12003.

[0033] Those skilled in the art will understand that, within the weight range of the components described in this application, a food product with the aforementioned neurodevelopmental nutritional support function can be prepared through conventional experiments and reasonable combinations. For example, when the value of a certain component is close to the upper limit of the range, the amount of other components can be adjusted accordingly to maintain the overall balance and functional synergy of the formula. Example 1 This application provides a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline, which, by weight, consists of the following components: 60 parts soybean peptide powder, 20 parts compound amino acids, 27 parts carbohydrate source, 17 parts fat source, 10 parts vitamin mixture, 6 parts mineral mixture, 5 parts DHA powder, 3 parts choline source, 3 parts prebiotics, and 1 part natural antioxidant mixture. The carbohydrate source is selected from a mixture of solid corn syrup and anhydrous glucose; the fat source is selected from vegetable oil powder.

[0034] The vitamin mixture contains: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K1, B vitamins, vitamin C, niacinamide, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin. Furthermore, every 100g of the neurodevelopment food contains 1000μgRE of vitamin A, 20μg of vitamin D, 42μg of vitamin K1, and 150mg of vitamin C.

[0035] The mineral mixture contains: calcium, iron, and zinc; Furthermore, every 100g of this neurodevelopment food contains 1000mg of calcium, 20mg of iron, and 12.5mg of zinc.

[0036] The natural antioxidant blend contains rosemary extract and tocopherol in a weight ratio of 1:2.

[0037] Among the complex amino acids, the weight ratio of L-glutamine to L-arginine is 1.35:1.

[0038] The preparation method of the above-mentioned neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline includes the following steps: S1. Microencapsulation of active ingredients: S1.1. Mix soybean peptide powder with a 3.5% maltodextrin solution at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:7.5, and homogenize to obtain a soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension. The homogenization process was carried out at a pressure of 40 MPa, and the cycle was repeated twice. S1.2. Mix DHA powder with a 4.5% sodium caseinate solution at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:10, and then sonicate to obtain a DHA microencapsulated suspension. The ultrasonic treatment involved a power of 250W, a frequency of 25kHz, and a duration of 20min. S2. Preparation of premix: The vitamin mixture is premixed with a portion of the carbohydrate source to obtain a vitamin premix; the mineral mixture is premixed with a portion of the fat source to obtain a mineral premix. S3. First mixing: The soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension and DHA microencapsulated suspension obtained in step S1 are mixed with the complex amino acids, choline source, remaining carbohydrate source, remaining fat source, prebiotics and natural antioxidant mixture to obtain a primary mixture. S4. Secondary mixing and homogenization: The vitamin premix and mineral premix obtained in step S2 are added to the primary mixture in equal increments. After mixing evenly, they are homogenized under high pressure to obtain a homogeneous mixture. The equal-increment method specifically involves: first, mixing the vitamin premix with an equal weight of the primary mixture until homogeneous, and then mixing this mixture with the remaining mixture. S5. Sterilization and drying: After the homogeneous mixture is sterilized by ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, it is spray dried to obtain dried granules; The ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization conditions are 140℃ for 4 seconds; the inlet air temperature of the spray drying is 170℃ and the outlet air temperature is 75℃. Among them, the moisture content of the dried particles obtained by spray drying is controlled at ≤5%, and more than 95% of the particles are between 30-100 mesh. S6. Finished Product Packaging: The dried granules are vacuum-packed in an environment with a relative humidity of ≤30% and a vacuum degree of -0.075MPa.

[0039] Example 2 This application provides a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline, which, by weight, consists of the following components: 50 parts soybean peptide powder, 10 parts compound amino acids, 15 parts carbohydrate source, 10 parts fat source, 5 parts vitamin mixture, 3 parts mineral mixture, 2 parts DHA powder, 1 part choline source, 2 parts prebiotics, and 0.5 parts natural antioxidant mixture. The carbohydrate source is selected from a mixture of anhydrous glucose and maltodextrin; the fat source is selected from medium-chain triglyceride powder.

[0040] The vitamin mixture contains: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K1, B vitamins, vitamin C, niacinamide, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin. Furthermore, every 100g of the neurodevelopment food contains 800μgRE of vitamin A, 15μg of vitamin D, 35μg of vitamin K1, and 120mg of vitamin C.

[0041] The mineral mixture contains: calcium, iron, and zinc; Furthermore, every 100g of this neurodevelopment food contains 800mg of calcium, 15mg of iron, and 10mg of zinc.

[0042] The natural antioxidant blend contains rosemary extract and tocopherol in a 1:1 weight ratio.

[0043] Among the complex amino acids, the weight ratio of L-glutamine to L-arginine is 1.2:1.

[0044] The preparation method of the above-mentioned neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline includes the following steps: S1. Microencapsulation of active ingredients: S1.1. Mix soybean peptide powder with a 2% maltodextrin solution at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:5, and homogenize to obtain a soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension. The homogenization process was carried out at a pressure of 30 MPa for two cycles. S1.2. DHA powder and sodium caseinate solution with a mass fraction of 3% were mixed at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:8 and ultrasonically treated to obtain DHA microencapsulated suspension. The ultrasonic treatment involved a power of 200W, a frequency of 20kHz, and a duration of 15min. S2. Preparation of premix: The vitamin mixture is premixed with a portion of the carbohydrate source to obtain a vitamin premix; the mineral mixture is premixed with a portion of the fat source to obtain a mineral premix. S3. First mixing: The soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension and DHA microencapsulated suspension obtained in step S1 are mixed with the complex amino acids, choline source, remaining carbohydrate source, remaining fat source, prebiotics and natural antioxidant mixture to obtain a primary mixture. S4. Secondary mixing and homogenization: The vitamin premix and mineral premix obtained in step S2 are added to the primary mixture in equal increments. After mixing evenly, they are homogenized under high pressure to obtain a homogeneous mixture. The equal-increment method specifically involves: first, mixing the vitamin premix with an equal weight of the primary mixture until homogeneous, and then mixing this mixture with the remaining mixture. S5. Sterilization and drying: After the homogeneous mixture is sterilized by ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, it is spray dried to obtain dried granules; The ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization conditions are 135℃ for 3 seconds; the inlet air temperature of the spray drying is 160℃ and the outlet air temperature is 70℃. Among them, the moisture content of the dried particles obtained by spray drying is controlled at ≤5%, and more than 95% of the particles are between 30-100 mesh. S6. Finished Product Packaging: The dried granules are vacuum-packed in an environment with a relative humidity of ≤30% and a vacuum degree of -0.06MPa.

[0045] Example 3 This application provides a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline, which, by weight, consists of the following components: 70 parts soybean peptide powder, 30 parts compound amino acids, 40 parts carbohydrate source, 25 parts fat source, 15 parts vitamin mixture, 10 parts mineral mixture, 8 parts DHA powder, 5 parts choline source, 5 parts prebiotics, and 1.5 parts natural antioxidant mixture. The carbohydrate source is selected from solid corn syrup; the fat source is selected from a mixture of vegetable oil powder and medium-chain triglyceride powder.

[0046] The vitamin mixture contains: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K1, B vitamins, vitamin C, niacinamide, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin. Furthermore, every 100g of the neurodevelopment food contains 1200μgRE of vitamin A, 25μg of vitamin D, 50μg of vitamin K1, and 180mg of vitamin C.

[0047] The mineral mixture contains: calcium, iron, and zinc; Furthermore, every 100g of this neurodevelopment food contains 1200mg of calcium, 25mg of iron, and 15mg of zinc.

[0048] The natural antioxidant blend contains rosemary extract and tocopherol in a weight ratio of 1:3.

[0049] Among the complex amino acids, the weight ratio of L-glutamine to L-arginine is 1.5:1.

[0050] The preparation method of the above-mentioned neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline includes the following steps: S1. Microencapsulation of active ingredients: S1.1. Mix soybean peptide powder with a 5% maltodextrin solution at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:10, and after homogenization, obtain a soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension. The homogenization process was carried out at a pressure of 50 MPa for 3 cycles. S1.2. DHA powder and sodium caseinate solution with a mass fraction of 6% were mixed at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:12 and ultrasonically treated to obtain DHA microencapsulated suspension. The ultrasonic treatment involved a power of 300W, a frequency of 30kHz, and a duration of 25min. S2. Preparation of premix: The vitamin mixture is premixed with a portion of the carbohydrate source to obtain a vitamin premix; the mineral mixture is premixed with a portion of the fat source to obtain a mineral premix. S3. First mixing: The soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension and DHA microencapsulated suspension obtained in step S1 are mixed with the complex amino acids, choline source, remaining carbohydrate source, remaining fat source, prebiotics and natural antioxidant mixture to obtain a primary mixture. S4. Secondary mixing and homogenization: The vitamin premix and mineral premix obtained in step S2 are added to the primary mixture in equal increments. After mixing evenly, they are homogenized under high pressure to obtain a homogeneous mixture. The equal-increment method specifically involves: first, mixing the vitamin premix with an equal weight of the primary mixture until homogeneous, and then mixing this mixture with the remaining mixture. S5. Sterilization and drying: After the homogeneous mixture is sterilized by ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, it is spray dried to obtain dried granules; The ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization conditions are 145℃ for 5 seconds; the inlet air temperature of the spray drying is 180℃ and the outlet air temperature is 80℃. Among them, the moisture content of the dried particles obtained by spray drying is controlled at ≤5%, and more than 95% of the particles are between 30-100 mesh. S6. Finished Product Packaging: The dried granules are vacuum-packed in an environment with a relative humidity of ≤30% and a vacuum degree of -0.09MPa.

[0051] Comparative Example 1 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that DHA powder is not added; all other components, dosages, and preparation processes are exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0052] Comparative Example 2 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the DHA powder is replaced with an equal amount of ordinary fish oil powder, while the other components, dosages, and preparation processes are exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0053] Comparative Example 3 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that no choline source is added, while the other components, dosages, and preparation processes are exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0054] Comparative Example 4 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the choline source is replaced with choline chloride of the same molar amount as choline, while the other components, amounts, and preparation processes are exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0055] Comparative Example 5 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that DHA powder and choline source are not added; all other components, dosages, and preparation processes are exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0056] Comparative Example 6 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that step S1 is omitted entirely, and the active ingredient microencapsulation process is not performed. The remaining components, dosages, and preparation processes are exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0057] Comparative Example 7 The only difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that in step S4, the equal incremental method is not used; instead, the vitamin premix and mineral premix are directly added to the primary mixture at once. The remaining components, amounts, and preparation processes are exactly the same as in Example 1.

[0058] I. Test Item: Determination of the retention rate of DHA and choline after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Take 2g of each sample from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-7, and place them in stoppered conical flasks. Add 20mL of simulated gastric digestion fluid (pH adjusted to 1.5, containing pepsin with an activity of 1200U / mL), seal, and incubate at 37℃ on a shaking incubator at 100rpm for 2 hours. Then add 40mL of simulated intestinal digestion fluid (pH adjusted to 7.5, containing trypsin with an activity of 5000U / mL) and bile salts at a concentration of 10mmol / L. Continue incubation at 37℃ and 100rpm for 4 hours. After digestion, determine the DHA content in the samples using gas chromatography and the choline content using colorimetry. Calculate the DHA retention rate and choline retention rate. Each sample is measured in triplicate, and the final result is the average value. in: ; .

[0059] II. Test Items: Determination of bioavailability of amino acids and minerals in an in vitro simulated digestion-intestinal absorption model. Take 3g of samples from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-7, and perform in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion according to the method in Test Item 1. After digestion, pass the digestive fluid through a pre-cultured Caco-2 cell monolayer intestinal absorption model and incubate for 4 hours in a cell culture incubator at 37°C and 5% CO2. After incubation, collect the solution from the basal side of the cells, determine the amino acid content in the solution using high performance liquid chromatography, and determine the calcium, iron, and zinc content using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Calculate the amino acid absorption (i.e., the ratio of the total amino acid content in the basal side solution to the total amino acid content in the initial sample multiplied by 100%) and mineral absorption (i.e., the ratio of the total mineral content in the basal side solution to the total mineral content in the initial sample multiplied by 100%), respectively. Each sample is measured in triplicate, and the final result is the average value. in: ; .

[0060] III. Test Items: Neurobehavioral Tests of Young Rats Healthy SPF-grade newborn SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: Example 1-3, Comparative 1-7, and a blank control group, with 10 rats in each group. The Example and Comparative 1 groups were fed the corresponding product, receiving 20 mg DHA and 40 mg choline per 100g of rat body weight daily. The blank control group was fed a basal diet under the same conditions as the experimental groups for 4 consecutive weeks. After feeding, the Morris water maze test was conducted: first, a navigation test was performed, with 5 consecutive days of training, 4 times a day. The escape latency (time required) from entering the water to finding the hidden platform was recorded each time. Then, a spatial exploration test was performed, with the platform removed. The number of times the rats crossed the original platform location within 60 seconds and the proportion of time spent in the target quadrant of the original platform were recorded. By comparing the escape latency, number of platform crossings, and time spent in the target quadrant among the groups, the learning and memory abilities of the young rats were assessed, reflecting the product's promoting effect on neural development.

[0061] The test results data for each item in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-7 are shown in Table 1.

[0062] Table 1:

[0063] As can be seen from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 1, and in conjunction with Table 1, the presence or absence of DHA, a key nutrient for promoting neural development, affects the overall performance of the product. On one hand, the lack of DHA directly impacts the retention of corresponding components after digestion; on the other hand, it affects the supply of nutrients related to neural development, thereby influencing neurobehavioral performance. This is because DHA plays a crucial role in nerve cell growth, synapse formation, and nerve signal transmission. A lack of this component hinders the product's ability to fully support neural development and also affects the synergy of the overall nutritional system, preventing other nutrients such as amino acids and minerals from achieving their intended effects in supporting neural development.

[0064] As can be seen from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 2, and Table 1, the product's performance changed after replacing DHA powder with ordinary fish oil powder. The core reason lies in the differences in the stability and compatibility of the two raw materials with other components in the product. The unsaturated fatty acids in ordinary fish oil powder are more easily destroyed by gastric acid and digestive enzymes during digestion, resulting in poor retention after digestion and thus affecting the supply of nutrients needed for subsequent neural development. In contrast, the specialized DHA powder, after specific processing, is better adapted to the product's formulation and digestive environment, forming better synergy with ingredients such as soybean peptide powder and vitamin mixtures, reducing losses during digestion, and thus better supporting neural development.

[0065] As can be seen from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 3, and in conjunction with Table 1, choline plays a crucial role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and the construction of nerve cell membranes. The absence of this component not only leads to a lack of retention of corresponding components after digestion but also directly affects the nutritional support effect for nerve development. Furthermore, choline has a synergistic effect with components such as DHA and amino acids; its deficiency disrupts the overall nutritional balance of the product, limiting the role of other nutrients in promoting nerve development and improving nutrient absorption and utilization. Consequently, it results in differences in neurobehavioral performance and nutrient absorption efficiency compared to products containing choline.

[0066] As can be seen from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 4, and Table 1, replacing the choline source with choline chloride resulted in a decrease in both choline retention rate and subsequent neurobehavioral performance. This is because the two choline compounds have different chemical properties and compatibility with other components in the product. Choline tartrate interacts more gently with components such as soybean peptides and carbohydrate sources in the product formulation, is more stable in a simulated gastrointestinal digestive environment, and better resists decomposition by gastric acid and digestive enzymes, thus maintaining a high retention rate. In contrast, choline chloride is relatively less stable under the same conditions, easily interacting with other components or being decomposed, leading to a decrease in choline retention rate. This, in turn, affects the supply of choline required for neural development, ultimately impacting the overall performance of the product. Therefore, the specific choline source selected in this application is superior to conventional choline chloride in terms of bioavailability and final functional effects.

[0067] As can be seen from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 5, and Table 1, the simultaneous deficiency of DHA and choline, two key neurotrophic components, has a more significant impact on product performance. This demonstrates the synergistic effect of these two components in supporting neural development and enhancing nutrient absorption and utilization. DHA is responsible for the construction of nerve cell structure and signal transmission, while choline participates in neurotransmitter synthesis and cell membrane formation. Both must work together to provide comprehensive nutritional support for neural development. The simultaneous deficiency of both components not only leads to gaps in the retention of their respective components but also disrupts the overall nutritional balance of the product. This prevents other nutrients such as amino acids and minerals from effectively compensating for the lack of key nutrients for neural development, resulting in a more pronounced decline in neurobehavioral performance and nutrient absorption efficiency compared to the deficiency of a single component.

[0068] As can be seen from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 6, and Table 1, omitting microencapsulation significantly alters the performance of active ingredients such as soybean peptides and DHA in the product. The core reason is that microencapsulation provides protection for these active ingredients. The protective layer formed by microencapsulation isolates the active ingredients from the interactions of gastric acid, digestive enzymes, and other components in a simulated gastrointestinal digestive environment, reducing the decomposition and loss of active ingredients during digestion and thus improving their retention rate. Simultaneously, microencapsulation improves the uniformity of mixing the active ingredients with other raw materials, promoting subsequent absorption and utilization. Without this step, the active ingredients are easily destroyed during digestion, leading not only to a decrease in their own retention rate but also affecting their synergistic effects with other nutrients, ultimately reducing the overall performance of the product.

[0069] As can be seen from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 7, and Table 1, adding the vitamin premix and mineral premix directly to the primary mixture without using the equal-increment method leads to changes in the product's nutrient absorption efficiency and subsequent neurobehavioral performance. The core function of the equal-increment method is to ensure that a small amount of vitamin and mineral premix can be uniformly mixed with a large amount of primary mixture, avoiding situations where the local concentration is too high or the mixing is uneven. The uniformity of mixing directly affects the uniform release of nutrients during digestion, thereby affecting the absorption and utilization efficiency of intestinal cells. If the mixing is uneven, excessively high concentrations of vitamins and minerals in some areas may affect the stability of other components, while excessively low concentrations will lead to insufficient local absorption, ultimately reducing the absorption efficiency of nutrients such as amino acids and minerals, disrupting the nutritional balance, and affecting the overall effect of the product in supporting neural development.

[0070] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of this application and is not intended to limit it. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they fall within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline, characterized in that: By weight, it consists of the following components: 50-70 parts soybean peptide powder, 10-30 parts complex amino acids, 15-40 parts carbohydrate source, 10-25 parts fat source, 5-15 parts vitamin mixture, 3-10 parts mineral mixture, 2-8 parts DHA powder, 1-5 parts choline source, 2-5 parts prebiotics, and 0.5-1.5 parts natural antioxidant mixture. The carbohydrate source is selected from at least one of solid corn syrup, anhydrous glucose, and maltodextrin; the fat source is selected from at least one of vegetable oil powder and medium-chain triglyceride powder.

2. The neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vitamin mixture contains: vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K1, B vitamins, vitamin C, niacinamide, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin; Furthermore, every 100g of neurodevelopment food contains 800-1200μgRE of vitamin A, 15-25μg of vitamin D, 35-50μg of vitamin K1, and 120-180mg of vitamin C.

3. The neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mineral mixture contains: calcium, iron, and zinc; Furthermore, every 100g of neurodevelopment food contains 800-1200mg of calcium, 15-25mg of iron, and 10-15mg of zinc.

4. The neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline according to claim 1, characterized in that: The natural antioxidant mixture contains rosemary extract and tocopherol in a weight ratio of 1:1 to 1:

3.

5. A neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the complex amino acid, the weight ratio of L-glutamine to L-arginine is (1.2-1.5):

1.

6. A method for preparing a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline, characterized in that, The neurodevelopment food containing DHA and choline as described in any one of claims 1-5 comprises the following steps: S1. Microencapsulation of active ingredients: S1.

1. Mix soybean peptide powder with maltodextrin solution with a mass fraction of 2%-5% at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:(5-10), and after homogenization, obtain soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension. S1.

2. Mix DHA powder with sodium caseinate solution with a mass fraction of 3%-6% at a solid-liquid ratio of 1:(8-12), and after ultrasonic treatment, obtain DHA microencapsulated suspension. S2. Preparation of premix: The vitamin mixture is premixed with a portion of the carbohydrate source to obtain a vitamin premix; the mineral mixture is premixed with a portion of the fat source to obtain a mineral premix. S3. First mixing: The soybean peptide microencapsulated suspension and DHA microencapsulated suspension obtained in step S1 are mixed with the complex amino acids, choline source, remaining carbohydrate source, remaining fat source, prebiotics and natural antioxidant mixture to obtain a primary mixture. S4. Secondary mixing and homogenization: The vitamin premix and mineral premix obtained in step S2 are added to the primary mixture in equal increments. After mixing evenly, they are homogenized under high pressure to obtain a homogeneous mixture. S5. Sterilization and drying: After the homogeneous mixture is sterilized by ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization, it is spray dried to obtain dried granules; S6. Finished Product Packaging: The dried granules are vacuum-packed in an environment with a relative humidity of ≤30%, wherein the vacuum degree is -0.06 to -0.09 MPa.

7. The method for preparing a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step S1.1, the homogenization process is carried out at a pressure of 30-50 MPa for 2-3 cycles; in step S1.2, the ultrasonic process is carried out at a power of 200-300 W, a frequency of 20-30 kHz, and a duration of 15-25 min.

8. The method for preparing a nerve development food containing DHA and choline according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step S4, the equal incremental method specifically involves: first, mixing the vitamin premix with an equal weight of the primary mixture until homogeneous, and then mixing this mixture with the remaining mixture.

9. The method for preparing a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step S5, the ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization is performed at 135-145℃ for 3-5 seconds; the inlet air temperature of the spray drying is 160-180℃, and the outlet air temperature is 70-80℃.

10. The method for preparing a neurodevelopmental food containing DHA and choline according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step S5, the moisture content of the dried particles obtained by spray drying is controlled to be ≤5%, and more than 95% of the particles have a particle size between 30 mesh and 100 mesh.

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