Study on the characteristics of glycerides and phospholipids in human milk from Tibet

• Published in: Food research international 2022-07, Vol.157, p.111025-111025, Article 111025
• Main Authors: Liu, Qian, Zhao, Junying, Liu 刘妍, Yan, Qiao, Weicang, Jiang, Tiemin, Wang, Yaling, Liu, Yanpin, Luo, Zhang, Yudron, Tsering, Hou, Juncai, Liu 刘言, Yan, Chen, Lijun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Choline; Dietary supplement; Lipids subclasses; Molecular level; Odd-chain fatty acids; Polar lipids
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111025

[Display omitted] •TAG, PE and SM accounted for 79.78% of the total molecular species number (132 ± 30).•The energy supply, PUFA-containing PLs and choline were low from the lipids of Tibetan human milk.•The comparison of lipid contents was OPO > OPL, PC34:2 > PC36:2 and SM34:1:2 > SM42:2:2.•Tibetan human milk possessed high contents of OCFAs-containing TAGs.•The contents of TAGs and DAGs with PUFAs were low in Tibetan human milk. The unique geographical characteristics and food culture of Tibet can affect the nutrition of human milk lipids. But little has been done in the comparison of the lipids between Tibet and other areas. This study gives in-depth analysis of the species, concentration and composition of lipid subclasses at the molecular level of the Tibetan human milk. There were averagely 132 ± 30 species of lipids, among which triglycerides (TAGs), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and sphingomyelin (SM) accounted for 79.78% of the total species number in the Tibetan human milk samples. The contents of TAG, SM, phosphatidylcholine (PC), and PE in the Tibetan human milk were 85.84%, 17.79%, 25.94% and 55.81% of those in the comparative human milk of China, respectively. The contents of TAGs and diglycerides (DAGs) with PUFAs in Tibetan human milk were significantly lower than those in the comparative group. However, the content and percentage of TAGs and DAGs with odd-chain saturated fatty acids were both higher in the Tibetan human milk than those in the comparative human milk. In total, 18 molecular species of lipids were downregulated and 5 ones were upregulated in the Tibetan human milk compared with those in the comparative human milk of China. The profile of lipids in the Tibetan human milk at the molecular level provided the scientific basis for maternal diet and supplemented the Chinese human milk lipids database.