The aim of this study was to assess the fatty acid percentage distribution in complex lipids of breast milk from mothers on a low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet. We performed… Click to show full abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the fatty acid percentage distribution in complex lipids of breast milk from mothers on a low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet. We performed a descriptive, cross-sectional study of milk samples (n=14) collected 90 days after delivery and analyzed them using gas chromatography, thin-layer chromatography and the Fiske-Subbarow method. Complex lipid distribution was 40.70 ± 5.11% sphingomyelin (SM), 26.03 ± 5.98% phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 21.12 ± 2.32% phosphatidylcholine, 7.94 ± 1.96% phosphatidylserine and 4.22 ± 1.25% phosphatidylinositol. Median DHA and arachidonic acid values were 0.13% (0.12; 0.18) and 0.42% (0.33; 0.53), respectively. Mean fatty acid percentage in SM and PE was as follows: palmitic acid, 34.45 ± 1.94% and 5.38 ± 0.94%; oleic acid, 16.50 ± 4.07% and 9.43 ± 4.05%; linoleic acid, 5.91 ± 4.69% and 9.05 ± 4.5%. DHA was not detectable in SM, but it was found in PE (55.33 ± 14.46). In conclusion, breast milk of mothers on a low DHA diet contained 55% DHA in PE, but no DHA in SM.
               
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