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Lipid composition in human breast milk from Granada (Spain): changes during lactation
Aleix Sala-Vila1, Ana I Castellote, María Rodriguez-Palmero
1Department of Nutrition and Bromatology, Centre de Referència en Tecnologia dels Aliments, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)
|April 7, 2005
Summary
Human milk composition changes during lactation. Phospholipid and fatty acid profiles in milk from mothers in Granada differ from other populations, with a decrease in certain fatty acids as lactation progresses.
Area of Science:
- Human milk composition analysis
- Lactation biology
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Human milk composition varies significantly with lactation stage.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for infant nutrition.
- Regional differences in milk composition are increasingly recognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate compositional differences in phospholipid (PL) classes and fatty acids within PL and triacylglycerol (TG) fractions of human milk.
- To analyze these components across different lactation stages (colostrum, transitional, mature milk).
- To compare milk composition from mothers in Granada, Spain, with global data.
Main Methods:
- Milk fat was extracted, and PLs and TGs were separated using thin-layer chromatography.
- Fatty acids were converted to methyl esters and analyzed via gas chromatography.
- PL classes were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with an evaporative light-scattering detector.
Main Results:
- Mature milk had lower overall phospholipid content compared to earlier stages.
- Phosphatidylcholine levels decreased significantly in mature milk.
- Mature milk triacylglycerols showed reduced percentages of arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and nervonic acid.
- Docosahexaenoic acid and nervonic acid also decreased in total phospholipids from colostrum to mature milk.
Conclusions:
- Human milk phospholipid classes and fatty acid profiles in Granada mothers differ from those reported globally.
- The proportion of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids delivered via phospholipids relative to triacylglycerols decreases as lactation advances.