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Trans , n‐3, and n‐6 fatty acids in canadian human milk
Author(s) -
Ratnayake W. M. N.,
Chen Z. Y.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02637091
Subject(s) - polyunsaturated fatty acid , fatty acid , linoleic acid , food science , arachidonic acid , breast milk , docosahexaenoic acid , chemistry , biochemistry , biology , enzyme
The presence of trans fatty acids in human milk may be a concern because of their possible adverse nutritional and physiological effects on the recipient infant. The mother's diet is the source of human milk trans fatty acids, and since these fatty acids are prevalent in many common foods of the Canadian diet, the trans fatty acid content and the fatty acid composition of Canadian human milk were measured by gas‐liquid chromatography coupled with silver nitrate‐thin layer chromatography. In samples obtained from 198 lactating mothers across Canada, the average percentage of total trans (sum of t 18∶1, t 18∶2, and t 18∶3) was 7.2% of breast milk fatty acids with a range of 0.1–17.2%. Analysis of t 18∶1 isomer distribution indicated that partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the major source of these trans fatty acids in human milk, whereas contribution from dairy products appeared to be relatively minor. Linoleci and α‐linolenic acid levels were inversely related to the total trans fatty acids, indicating that the elevation of trans fatty acids in Canadian human milk is at the expense of n‐3 and n‐6 essential fatty acids. Levels of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids did not correlate with their parent fatty acids, indicating that it might be difficult to elevate the levels of n‐6 and n‐3 C 20–22 polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast milk by increasing levels of linoleic and α‐linolenic acids in the mother's diet.