Vitamin E, lipid fractions, and fatty acid composition of colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk: an international comparative study

Triglycerides, cholesterol, fatty acid composition, and tocopherols were determined in colustrum, transitional milk, and mature milk in St. Lucia. With progress of lactation, triglycerides and percentage medium-chain fatty acids increased whereas tocopherols, cholesterol and percentage long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased. These changes reflect augmented de novo synthesis of fatty acids (8:0, 10:0, 12:0, and 14:0) in the mammary gland and a tendency of increasing fat-globule size as milk matures. Transitional and mature milks, but particularly colustrum, contained higher concentrations of components considered to be derived from the fat-globule membrane (cholesterol, tocopherols, percentage long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) compared with those reported for Western countries. Percentage medium-chain fatty acids in mature milk was two to three times higher than in developed countries. Differences from data from studies in Western countries are discussed in relation to analytical methods and possible consequences for lipid digestion, lipid absorption, growth, and brain development.(AU)

Human milk in mothers in Belize, Curacao, Dominica, St. Lucia and Suriname, the fatty acid composition and the relevance of medium chain fatty acids containing triglycerides - abstract

Fatty acid composition of mature milk from Belize, Curacao, Dominica and Suriname and of colostrum, transitional and mature milk from women in St. Lucia was analyzed by capillary gas chromatography. Remarkable differences and striking similarities were found in fatty acid compositions. The levels of 6:0-12:0, the medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), and 14:0 were high (12:0-16:9 and 9.6-15.0 gm percent respectively) in all 5 countries as compared to reports from European countries. Palmitic acid (16:) levels (20.2-23.6 gm percent were similar to reported levels from other societies. The levels of 22.+c, W3 (docosahexaenoic acid or DHA) were extremely high in Dominica (average 1.15 gm percent) and relatively high (0.25-0.56 gm percent) in other Caribbean countries as compared to reported levels of 0.05-0.23 gm percent in studies from the USA. When a mother is in energy equilibrium or positive energy balance, the fatty acid composition of her breast milk is related to that of her diet, whereas in negative energy balance, it resembles that of her adipose tissue. High levels of DHA in breast milk may be explained by consumption of fish rich in DHA. A high carbohydrate intake leads to a high MCFA content of breast milk, such as seen in all 5 Caribbean countries but especially in Dominica. The levels of MCFAs and 14:0 in breast milk from St. Lucia increased substantially from colostrum to mature milk at the expense of the longer chain fatty acids (AU)