Composition of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human milk and growth of young infants in rural areas of northern China

While a wealth of data on the fatty acid composition of mature human milk has been published, limited information is available on the quantities of individual fatty acids supplied to the suckling infant with maternal milk, through the whole first year of life. Our aim was to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the fatty acid composition of human milk from Italian mothers, throughout extended lactation with particular emphasis on the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. We have thus measured the total fat content and the concentrations of major fatty acids by quantitative GLC in pooled breast hindmilk collected from all feedings over 24 h at colostrum, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months in ten mothers recruited after delivery of full-term infants. Total saturated fatty acids progressively increase and total monounsaturated progressively decrease as percentage levels, while among long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, percentages of arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid decrease from colostrum up to the third month. Hindmilk total lipids (mg/dl) rise more than twofold up to 3 months, and then remain stable. The amounts (mg/dl) of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid progressively increase, following the trend of total fat, while arachidonic and docosahexaenoic concentrations (mg/dl) remain stable throughout the whole nursing period. Assessment of the intakes per kg body weight shows different trends for the individual major long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids supplied to the infant from hindmilk during exclusive breast-feeding (3 months). This information may be useful for the evaluation of infant intakes during extended lactation.

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Does the Bile Salt-Stimulated Lipase of Human Milk Have a Role in the Use of the Milk Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids?

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition ◽

10.1097/00005176-199305000-00014 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 426-431 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Olle Hernell ◽

Lars Bläckberg ◽

Qi Chen ◽

Berit Sternby ◽

Åke Nilsson

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽

Human Milk ◽

Bile Salt ◽

Long Chain

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Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human milk and brain growth during early infancy

Acta Paediatrica ◽

10.1111/j.1651-2227.2000.tb01206.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 89 (2) ◽

pp. 142-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

M Xiang ◽

G Alfvén ◽

M Blennow ◽

M Trygg ◽

R Zetterström

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽

Human Milk ◽

Early Infancy ◽

Brain Growth ◽

Long Chain

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Maternal Dietary Fatty Acids and Their Relationship to Derived Endocannabinoids in Human Milk

Journal of Human Lactation ◽

10.1177/0890334421993468 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089033442199346

Author(s):

Adriana V. Gaitán ◽

JodiAnne T. Wood ◽

Yingpeng Liu ◽

Lipin Ji ◽

Spyros P. Nikas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽

Human Milk ◽

Dietary Intake ◽

Infant Development ◽

Infant Health ◽

Dietary Fatty Acids ◽

Future Research ◽

Long Chain

Background Dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are known to benefit infant development. After birth, human milk provides arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids to the infant. Endocannabinoids are endogenous lipid mediators derived from the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Although the roles and the mechanisms of action are not fully understood, previous researchers have suggested that endocannabinoids might play a role in infant feeding behavior. Research Aims To assess (i) maternal dietary intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and (ii) their relationship to concentrations of fatty acids and derived endocannabinoids in human milk. Methods For this exploratory-longitudinal study, participants ( N = 24) provided dietary intake data and milk samples. Fatty acids and derived endocannabinoids: Arachidonylethanolamide, arachidonoylglycerol, docosahexaenoyl glycerol, eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamide, and eicosapenaenoyl glycerol were identified in their milk by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and correlations to dietary fatty acids were assessed. Results Participants were not consuming recommended amounts of docosahexaenoic acid. Significant correlations ( p ≤ .05) were only found between dietary docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids and the concentrations of these in human milk. Moreover, only dietary docosahexaenoic acid was correlated ( p = .031) with its corresponding endocannabinoid, docosahexaenoyl glycerol. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this may be one of the first studies evaluating relationships between dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and multiple endocannabinoids in human milk. Our findings suggest that endocannabinoid concentrations could be modulated by dietary precursors. Future research studies can be designed based on these data to better elucidate the roles of endocannabinoids in human milk for infant health and development.

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