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Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) Mar 2022Breastfeeding is best for infants, but quantitative associations between specific milk components and infant biomarkers remain unclear. Methodological limitations... (Review)
Review
Breastfeeding is best for infants, but quantitative associations between specific milk components and infant biomarkers remain unclear. Methodological limitations include missing milk volume intake, variable milk composition and that standardised, fasted state blood sampling is impossible in infants. Milk protein and fat content appear marginally related to infant serum amino acid and phospholipid concentrations, with some association between milk fatty acid composition and lipid species levels. CONCLUSION: Detailed simultaneous examinations of maternal factors, milk composition and infant biomarkers or outcomes could identify the mechanistic basis of human milk effects and help develop dietary recommendations for optimal human milk composition.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Diet; Female; Humans; Infant; Milk Proteins; Milk, Human
PubMed: 34738257
DOI: 10.1111/apa.16174 -
Trends in Microbiology Feb 2024Several bacterial species initially colonise the infant gut, but are outcompeted. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk create an environment for...
Several bacterial species initially colonise the infant gut, but are outcompeted. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk create an environment for Bifidobacterium to flourish. Laursen and Roager recently showed a clear link between breast milk and the dominance of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis in the infant gut.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Female; Bifidobacterium; Milk, Human; Oligosaccharides
PubMed: 38087708
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.11.015 -
Nutrients May 2022This study aimed to assess the content of caffeine and its metabolites-paraxanthine, theophylline, and theobromine-in breast milk according to selected factors. Samples...
This study aimed to assess the content of caffeine and its metabolites-paraxanthine, theophylline, and theobromine-in breast milk according to selected factors. Samples of human milk were collected from 100 women living in the east-northeast region of Poland. Information on the consumption of beverages and foods containing caffeine was collected using a 3 day food record. The determination of caffeine and its metabolite content was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This study research showed that more caffeine was found in the milk of women living in cities, with secondary education, aged 34-43, and also in milk from the 3rd and 4th lactation periods ( ≤ 0.05). Factors such as place of residence, level of education, age, and stage of lactation influenced the nutritional choices of breastfeeding women, which had an impact on the level of caffeine and its metabolites in breast milk. A positive correlation was found between the consumption of caffeine with food and drinks and its level in human milk.
Topics: Caffeine; Chromatography, Liquid; Female; Humans; Milk, Human; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Theobromine; Theophylline
PubMed: 35683994
DOI: 10.3390/nu14112196 -
Journal of Human Lactation : Official... Nov 2020The human milk microbiome is an emerging scientific area. Careful, accurate collection and measurement for microbial sequencing is imperative. There is controversy about... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The human milk microbiome is an emerging scientific area. Careful, accurate collection and measurement for microbial sequencing is imperative. There is controversy about a core microbiome, and little is known about factors that influence composition. Even less known are ways that the milk microbiome might seed the infant gut and affect health.
RESEARCH AIM
The aim of this paper is to provide a critical appraisal of milk microbiome research. The four areas of critical appraisal were collection and measurement, composition, effects on composition, and potential health effects for infants related to the milk microbiome.
METHODS
Using a PRISMA-ScR scoping review, we reviewed sources of evidence extracted from PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, and PSYCHINFO data sets using the following criteria: English language, published in past 6 years, primary data, and sequencing using Next Generation Sequencing. Charting of sources of evidence included authors, title, journal year, sample, design, and results. The research questions posed were: How is human milk collected and how are the microbes identified? What is the composition and what factors affect the human milk microbiome? What is the relationship of the human milk microbiome to infant biology and health?
RESULTS
The reviewed studies were quantitative, cross sectional, or longitudinal. A core microbiome may be present. The microbiome may seed the early infant gut and promote physiological functions and thus influence human health.
CONCLUSIONS
We have suggested concerns about collection and measurement that lead to gaps in knowledge generation, and mechanistic studies are lacking.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Infant; Longitudinal Studies; Microbiota; Milk, Human
PubMed: 32735471
DOI: 10.1177/0890334420942768 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2022Free oligosaccharides are abundant macronutrients in milk and involved in prebiotic functions and antiadhesive binding of viruses and pathogenic bacteria to colonocytes....
Free oligosaccharides are abundant macronutrients in milk and involved in prebiotic functions and antiadhesive binding of viruses and pathogenic bacteria to colonocytes. Despite the importance of these oligosaccharides, structural determination of oligosaccharides is challenging, and milk oligosaccharide biosynthetic pathways remain unclear. Oligosaccharide structures are conventionally determined using a combination of chemical reactions, exoglycosidase digestion, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Most reported free oligosaccharides are highly abundant and have lactose at the reducing end, and current oligosaccharide biosynthetic pathways in human milk are proposed based on these oligosaccharides. In this study, a new mass spectrometry technique, which can identify linkages, anomericities, and stereoisomers, was applied to determine the structures of free oligosaccharides in human, bovine, and caprine milk. Oligosaccharides that do not follow the current biosynthetic pathways and are not synthesized by any discovered enzymes were found, indicating the existence of undiscovered biosynthetic pathways and enzymes.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Goats; Humans; Lactose; Milk; Milk, Human; Oligosaccharides; Prebiotics
PubMed: 35750794
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15140-7 -
The Journal of Maternal-fetal &... Dec 2022Preeclampsia (PE) is a gestational hypertensive syndrome characterized by a complex disease with variable clinical manifestation. An aspect of increased interest is the... (Review)
Review
Preeclampsia (PE) is a gestational hypertensive syndrome characterized by a complex disease with variable clinical manifestation. An aspect of increased interest is the possible effect of PE on the mammary gland (and therefore on breast milk composition) considering that a mother's own milk is always considered the first choice for the nutrition of all neonates. Human milk (HM) is a unique food believed to contain biological factors involved in both short and long-term benefits. This article aims to review the published papers on this topic and to offer additional insights on the role of this gestational pathology on the composition of HM. This review was performed by searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL, and Cochrane Library databases. A total of 15 articles were selected. Overall, the findings from the literature suggest that PE can alter the composition of HM milk. Nevertheless, the number of studies in this field are scarce, and the related protocols present some limitation, for example, evaluating the variability of just a few specific milk biochemical markers in association with this syndrome.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Milk, Human; Breast Feeding; Pre-Eclampsia; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 34121581
DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2021.1910655 -
Nutrients May 2023Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) stimulate the growth of gut commensals, prevent the adhesion of enteropathogens and modulate host immunity. The major factors... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) stimulate the growth of gut commensals, prevent the adhesion of enteropathogens and modulate host immunity. The major factors influencing variations in the HMO profile are polymorphisms in the secretor (Se) or Lewis (Le) gene, which affect the activity of the enzymes fucoslytransferase 2 and 3 (FUT2 and FUT3) that lead to the formation of four major fucosylated and non-fucosylated oligosaccharides (OS). This pilot study aimed to determine the HMO profile of Israeli breastfeeding mothers of 16 term and 4 preterm infants, from a single tertiary center in the Tel Aviv area. Fifty-two human milk samples were collected from 20 mothers at three-time points: colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk. The concentrations of nine HMOs were assessed using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectra chromatograms. Fifty-five percent of the mothers were secretors and 45% were non-secretors. Infant sex affected HMO levels depending on the maternal secretor status. Secretor mothers to boys had higher levels of FUT2-dependent OS and higher levels of disialyllacto-N-tetraose in the milk of mothers to girls, whereas non-secretor mothers to girls had higher levels of 3'-sialyllactose. In addition, the season at which the human milk samples were obtained affected the levels of some HMOs, resulting in significantly lower levels in the summer. Our findings provide novel information on the irregularity in the HMO profile among Israeli lactating women and identify several factors contributing to this variability.
Topics: Infant; Male; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Female; Milk, Human; Lactation; Breast Feeding; Pilot Projects; Israel; Infant, Premature; Oligosaccharides
PubMed: 37299512
DOI: 10.3390/nu15112548 -
Nutrients Oct 2021Growing evidence demonstrates human milk's protective effect against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Human milk derives these properties from biologically active... (Review)
Review
Growing evidence demonstrates human milk's protective effect against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Human milk derives these properties from biologically active compounds that influence intestinal growth, barrier function, microvascular development, and immunological maturation. Among these protective compounds are growth factors that are secreted into milk with relatively high concentrations during the early postnatal period, when newborns are most susceptible to NEC. This paper reviews the current knowledge on human milk growth factors and their mechanisms of action relevant to NEC prevention. It will also discuss the stability of these growth factors with human milk pasteurization and their potential for use as supplements to infant formulas with the goal of preventing NEC.
Topics: Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Female; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Lactation; Milk, Human; Pasteurization; Premature Birth
PubMed: 34836007
DOI: 10.3390/nu13113751 -
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Apr 2022We present an electrochemical impedimetric-based biosensor for monitoring the variation in human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) composition. 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'FL) is an...
We present an electrochemical impedimetric-based biosensor for monitoring the variation in human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) composition. 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'FL) is an HMO associated with infant growth, cognitive development, and protection from infectious diarrhea, one of the major causes of infant death worldwide. Due to genetic variation, the milk of some women (non-secretors) contains no or very little 2'FL with potential implications for infant health and development. However, there is currently no technology to analyze the presence and concentration of HMOs in human milk at the point-of-care (POC). The lack of such technology represents a major impediment to advancing human milk research and improving maternal-infant health. Towards this unmet need, we report an impedimetric assay for HMOs with an α-1,2 linkage, the most abundant of which is 2'FL. The sensor uses a lectin for affinity, specifically Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA), with electrochemical readout. In spiked studies, the sensor exhibited a high degree of linearity (R = 0.991) over 0.5 to 3.0 μM with a 330-nM detection limit. The sensor performance was clinically validated using banked human milk samples and correctly identified all secretor vs. non-secretor samples. Furthermore, despite the short 35-min assay time and low sample volume (25 μL), the assay was highly correlated with HPLC measurements. This bedside human milk testing assay enables POC, "sample-to-answer" quantitative HMO measurement, and will be a valuable tool to assess milk composition.
Topics: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Female; Humans; Infant; Milk, Human; Oligosaccharides; Point-of-Care Systems
PubMed: 34741182
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03697-7 -
The American Journal of Clinical... Apr 2023The goal of Working Group 1 in the Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN) Project was to outline factors influencing biological processes governing...
Parental factors that impact the ecology of human mammary development, milk secretion, and milk composition-a report from "Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN)" Working Group 1.
The goal of Working Group 1 in the Breastmilk Ecology: Genesis of Infant Nutrition (BEGIN) Project was to outline factors influencing biological processes governing human milk secretion and to evaluate our current knowledge of these processes. Many factors regulate mammary gland development in utero, during puberty, in pregnancy, through secretory activation, and at weaning. These factors include breast anatomy, breast vasculature, diet, and the lactating parent's hormonal milieu including estrogen, progesterone, placental lactogen, cortisol, prolactin, and growth hormone. We examine the effects of time of day and postpartum interval on milk secretion, along with the role and mechanisms of lactating parent-infant interactions on milk secretion and bonding, with particular attention to the actions of oxytocin on the mammary gland and the pleasure systems in the brain. We then consider the potential effects of clinical conditions including infection, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, cardiovascular health, inflammatory states, mastitis, and particularly, gestational diabetes and obesity. Although we know a great deal about the transporter systems by which zinc and calcium pass from the blood stream into milk, the interactions and cellular localization of transporters that carry substrates such as glucose, amino acids, copper, and the many other trace metals present in human milk across plasma and intracellular membranes require more research. We pose the question of how cultured mammary alveolar cells and animal models can help answer lingering questions about the mechanisms and regulation of human milk secretion. We raise questions about the role of the lactating parent and the infant microbiome and the immune system during breast development, secretion of immune molecules into milk, and protection of the breast from pathogens. Finally, we consider the effect of medications, recreational and illicit drugs, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals on milk secretion and composition, emphasizing that this area needs much more research attention.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Female; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Lactation; Milk; Milk, Human; Placenta; Premature Birth; Parents
PubMed: 37173058
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2022.11.026