[The carbohydrate composition of human milk]. / Uglevodnyi sostav zhenskogo moloka.

The carbohydrate content of breast milk was investigated by capillary gas liquid chromatography. The milk samples obtained from 16 normal lactating mothers contained glucose, galactose, lactose, and 3-fucosidolactose. The content of monosaccharides in breast milk was 2-12 times higher than that in cow's milk. The lactose content amounted to 84-95%, whereas the ratio of alpha- tox beta-froms was within 0.92-0.95%. Breast milk was found to contain alpha- and beta-forms of 2- and 3-fucosidolactose which do not occur in cow's milk. The content of these forms accounted for 3%. The biological role of breast milk carbohydrates is discussed.