Abstract
Infants rely on their innate immune systems to protect them from infection. Human milk (HM) contains fatty acids (FAs) and monoacylglycerols that are known to exhibit antiviral and antibacterial properties in vitro. The specific fat content of HM may potentially affect the efficacy of this antimicrobial activity. This preliminary study investigates whether the proportions of FA in HM change in response to infections, leading to cold-like symptoms in the mother or infant. Milk samples were obtained from mothers (n = 26) when they and their infants were healthy, and when mother, infant, or both suffered cold-like symptoms. The milk was hydrolysed and FA proportions were measured using gas chromatography. Fifteen FAs were recorded, of which eight were detected in sufficient quantities for statistical analysis. The proportions of capric (C10:0) and lauric acids (C12:0) in HM were significantly lower, and palmitic acid (C16:0) was higher when mothers and infants were ill compared to healthy samples. Palmitoleic (C16:1, n-7) and stearic acid (C18:0) proportions were higher in HM when the infant was unwell, but were not related to maternal health. Whilst the differences detected were small (less than 0.5%), the effects may be additive and potentially have a protective function. The value of further studies is certainly indicated.
Highlights
Human milk provides the ideal nutrition for an infant during the first six months of life, leading to optimal growth and development [1,2]
This study suggests that cold-like infections in mother or infant or both may result in partial suppression of the synthesis of capric and lauric acids, both de novo fatty acids (FAs), accompanied by an increase in palmitic acid, indicating a response by the mammary gland
A reduction of lauric acid in response to infant infection is consistent with a study that demonstrated an increased risk of mother to child transmission of HIV with a 1% higher concentration of lauric acid and a decreased risk with higher concentrations of n6 LC-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in breastmilk, including dihomo-γ-linolenic (DGLA) and arachidonic acid (AA) [23]
Summary
Human milk provides the ideal nutrition for an infant during the first six months of life, leading to optimal growth and development [1,2]. The acquired immune system is naïve, needing time to develop immunological responses and memory. This causes infants to be reliant on aspects of the innate immune system to protect them from serious infections. Human milk is known to contain multiple bioactive factors that form part of the innate immune system of the gastrointestinal tract [2]. These include proteins such as lactoferrin and lysozyme, oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, and lipids. The lipids, Nutrients 2017, 9, 1034; doi:10.3390/nu9091034 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
