Thermal Stability of Human Milk Bioactives: A Global Bibliometric Overview
Abstract
Human milk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants, providing essential nutrients and bioactive components crucial for growth and development. However, these components are sensitive to post-expression handling, particularly thermal processes like storage, pasteurization, and heating. This study maps the global research landscape on the thermal stability of human milk bioactive components and identifies trends, key contributors, and research gaps. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Scopus database for publications from 2000 to 2023. The findings reveal a significant upward trend in publications over the last decade, with research predominantly led by the United States and China through strong international collaborations. While themes such as pasteurization and microbiological quality are well established, research on the thermal stability of non-protein bioactive components, inter-component interactions, and their long-term clinical impacts on infant health remains scarce. These results provide a foundation for developing evidence-based guidelines for human milk handling and highlight priority areas for future investigation.
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References
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