Relationship between fatty acid compositions and taurine concentration in breast milk from Chinese rural mothers

Long chain ω3 and ω6 fatty acids and taurine have been suggested to have structural and/or functional roles in the brain. In this study the levels of fatty acids and taurine in breast milk and their correlations were investigated in 46 lactating women from an area 100 km north-east of Beijing, China. The subjects consisted of two groups: group 1 was 22-47 days postpartum and group 2 was 75-106 days postpartum. Fatty acids and taurine in breast milk were measured by gas-liquid chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The relative compositions of long chain ω6 and ω3 fatty acids decreased significantly (20:3 ω6, 20:4 ω6, 22:4 ω6, 22:5 ω6 and 22:6 ω3; all P < 0.01) in the course of lactation, while long chain saturated (20:0, 22:0) and monounsaturated (20:1, 22:1) fatty acids tended to increase. The ratio of ω6/ω3 fatty acids in breast milk fat appeared to be higher (12.3 ± 4.3 for group 1, and 16.5 ± 7.4 for group 2) than the desired range of 4-10. Breast milk taurine concentrations from Chinese rural mothers were 186 ± 48 nmol/mL and 157 ± 65 nmol/mL for groups 1 and 2, respectively. A significantly inverse relationship was observed between breast milk taurine concentration and the ratio of arachidonic acid ω6 to docosahexaenoic acid ω3 (r = -0.323, P = 0.028). Further studies on the physiological function(s) of taurine as an antioxidant and as a neurotransmitter are worth pursuing in relation to the balance of long chain ω6 and ω3 fatty acids, especially as regards its role in retina and brain development.