Neutral glycolipids of human and bovine milk

Abstract

The neutral glycolipids of milk, a small fraction of the total lipids, are of potential biological importance. The simultaneous quantitation of the simple (less than five sugars) glycosphingolipids of human milk samples was achieved by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The samples, representing various stages of lactation, parity of the nursing child, and age of the mother, contained similar glycolipid patterns, but with varying individual glycolipid concentrations. The cerebrosides are major glycosphingolipids of human milk: the non-hydroxylated fatty acid (NFA)-containing species are present at 1.8 μM, and the hydroxylated and/or short-chain fatty acid-containing species (HFA) are present at 1.7 μM; NFA lactosylceramide is present at 931 nM. The cerebrosides appear to be primarily galactosylceramides (galactocerebrosides); glucosylceramides (glucocerebrosides) are a minor component. Globotriaosylceramide (Gb₃) is found at 50 nM and 73 nM for the NFA and HFA species, respectively, while globoside (Gb₄) is found at 45 nM and 46 nM for the NFA and HFA species. Bovine milk glycosphingolipids differ from those of human milk, with bovine milk containing mainly NFA glucosylceramide (8 μM) and NFA lactosylceramide (17 μM); bovine milk contains little Gb₃ or Gb₄.