Abstract
PurposeHuman milk (HM) composition is influenced by factors, like maternal diet and body stores, among other factors. For evaluating the influence of maternal fatty acid (FA) status on milk FA composition, the correlation between FA content in HM and in maternal plasma, erythrocytes, and adipose tissue was investigated.Methods223 European women who delivered at term, provided HM samples over first four months of lactation. Venous blood and adipose tissue (only from mothers who consented and underwent a C-section delivery) were sampled at delivery. FAs were assessed in plasma, erythrocytes, adipose tissue, and HM. Evolution of HM FAs over lactation and correlations between FA content in milk and tissues and between mother’s blood and cord blood were established.ResultsDuring lactation, arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) significantly decreased, while linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) remained stable. Positive correlations were observed between HM and adipose tissue for palmitic, stearic, oleic, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Correlations were found between milk and plasma for oleic, LA, ARA, ALA, DHA, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and PUFAs. No correlation was observed between erythrocytes and HM FAs. LA and ALA were more concentrated in maternal blood than in infant blood, contrary to ARA and DHA, supporting that biomagnification of LCPUFAs may have occurred during pregnancy.ConclusionsThese data show that maternal adipose tissue rather than erythrocytes may serve as reservoir of PUFAs and LCPUFAs for human milk. Plasma also supplies PUFAs and LCPUFAs to maternal milk. If both, adipose tissue and plasma PUFAs, are reflection of dietary intake, it is necessary to provide PUFAs and LCPUFAs during pregnancy or even before conception and lactation to ensure availability for mothers and enough supply for the infant via HM.
Highlights
Human milk (HM) is the ideal food in early infant life
fatty acid (FA) composition of milk measured in the same centers providing plasma and/or erythrocytes and/or adipose tissues were considered
The present study was designed to assess the FA profile of full expressed HM collected in Norway, Sweden, Romania, France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy over first four months of lactation and to evaluate the correlation between the maternal FA status and milk FA, and between the maternal blood FAs and infant blood FAs at birth and to evaluate factors influencing FA composition of HM
Summary
Human milk (HM) is the ideal food in early infant life. Lipid content of HM is reported to vary with progression of lactation ranging from 1.9 to 2.3% in colostrum to 3.2–4.9% in Extended author information available on the last page of the article mature milk and represents approximately half of energy provided to the infant when exclusively breastfed [1–3].Among milk lipids, triacylglycerols is the most abundant class representing over 90% of total lipids. Human milk (HM) is the ideal food in early infant life. Lipid content of HM is reported to vary with progression of lactation ranging from 1.9 to 2.3% in colostrum to 3.2–4.9% in Extended author information available on the last page of the article mature milk and represents approximately half of energy provided to the infant when exclusively breastfed [1–3]. Triacylglycerols consist of a molecule of glycerol esterified with three molecules of fatty acids (FAs). FAs in HM can be (1) generated by de novo fatty acid synthesis in the mammary gland, (2) mobilized from maternal stores, i.e., adipose tissue, and (3) directly supplied by the maternal intake (diet and supplements) [4, 5]. The presence in the human mammary gland cell of an enzyme allowing termination of
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