This study developed a green extraction method for sphingomyelin (SM) using ethanol combined with cooling crystallization or supercritical extraction technologies. The process for extracting and purifying SM and phospholipid (PL) from whey protein phospholipid concentrate (WPPC) was systematically optimized. Through systematic process optimization, 2 highly efficient extraction pathways with enriched SM content were established: 1) Extraction with 70% ethanol at 70°C and a solid-liquid ratio of 1:40, followed by cooling crystallization at 0°C for 1 h and centrifugation at 4000 rpm for 15 min, yielding an extract (ECSM) where SM accounted for 52.09% of total PL; 2) Integration of supercritical extraction using 20% ethanol as a co-solvent, with the resulting residue further extracted under optimal conditions (90% ethanol, 70°C, solid-to-liquid ratio 1:20), producing another extract (SESM) containing 51.66% SM. Then, 2 infant formula phospholipid ingredients (IFPI) was developed by blending the obtained SM-enriched materials (ECSM and SESM) with soybean phospholipid, sunflower seed phospholipid, and milk phospholipid, tailored to closely mimic the phospholipid profile of Chinese human milk. Evaluated using a similarity scoring model, IFPI1 and IFPI2 achieved high similarity scores of 92.17 and 92.38, respectively, compared with mature Chinese breast milk. This work not only presents a sustainable and efficient SM extraction and purification strategy, but also provides crucial technical support for upgrading lipid ingredients in infant formula, particularly in achieving precise and localized nutritional formulation.
Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.