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trans Fatty Acids in Colostrum, Mature Milk and Diet of Lactating Adolescents

  • Original Article
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Lipids

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the trans fatty acids (TFA) content and distribution in colostrum, mature milk, and diet of adolescent mothers, after TFA declaration in food labels became mandatory in Brazil. Participants were healthy adolescents (n 54, 15–19 years, 1–90 days postpartum) practicing exclusive breastfeeding. Milk samples were collected 3 days after delivery (colostrum) and in the third month postpartum (mature milk) by hand expression. The fatty acid composition of the milk samples was determined by gas chromatography. TFA intake corresponded to 1.23 % of total energy value. Total 18:2 TFA accounted for less than 0.5 % of the energy intake. The amount of total 18:1 TFA (mean ± SEM) was 1.9 % ± 0.14 in colostrum and 1.5 % ± 0.2 in mature milk. The total content of n-3 PUFA was inversely correlated with the total content of 18:1 TFA in colostrum. Both in colostrum and in mature milk, vaccenic acid (11t-18:1) was found to be the most abundant 18:1 trans isomer, followed by elaidic acid (9t-18:1), whereas rumenic acid (9c,11t-18:2 CLA) was the predominant 18:2 trans isomer. In conclusion, the levels of TFA of industrial sources found in the mother’s diet and breast milk (colostrum and mature milk) showed a decrease in relation to those observed in studies conducted prior to the TFA labeling resolution in Brazil. However, the current low intake levels of n-3 LCPUFA and DHA content in the milk of lactating adolescents may be insufficient for supporting adequate neurological development of the infants.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

Alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3)

ANVISA:

National Sanitary Surveillance Agency

ARA:

Arachidonic acid (20:4n-6)

BMI/A:

Body mass index for age

c :

cis

CLA:

Conjugated linoleic acid

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)

EFA:

Essential fatty acid(s)

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3)

FA:

Fatty acid(s)

FAME:

Fatty acid methyl ester(s)

FID:

Flame ionization detector

Fiocruz:

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation

HM:

Human milk

IFF:

National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents Health Fernandes Figueira

LCPUFA:

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid(s)

LNA:

Linoleic acid (18:2n-6)

LNBINJC/UFRJ:

Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry of the Institute of Nutrition Josué de Castro/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

MUFA:

Monounsaturated fatty acid(s)

PHVO:

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil(s)

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acid(s)

SFA:

Saturated fatty acid(s)

t :

trans

TFA:

trans Fatty acid(s)

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Nutrição Josué de Castro da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Roseli de Souza Santos da Costa, Flavia da Silva Santos, Daniela de Barros Mucci, Fátima Lucia de Carvalho Sardinha & Maria das Graças Tavares do Carmo

  2. Instituto Nacional da Saúde da Mulher, da Criança e do Adolescente Fernandes Figueira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Roseli de Souza Santos da Costa & Célia Regina Moutinho de Miranda Chaves

  3. Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Tânia Vignuda de Souza

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  1. Roseli de Souza Santos da Costa
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  2. Flavia da Silva Santos
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  3. Daniela de Barros Mucci
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  4. Tânia Vignuda de Souza
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  5. Fátima Lucia de Carvalho Sardinha
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  6. Célia Regina Moutinho de Miranda Chaves
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  7. Maria das Graças Tavares do Carmo
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Correspondence to Roseli de Souza Santos da Costa.

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de Souza Santos da Costa, R., da Silva Santos, F., de Barros Mucci, D. et al. trans Fatty Acids in Colostrum, Mature Milk and Diet of Lactating Adolescents. Lipids 51, 1363–1373 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-016-4206-1

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