title: Age and diet effects on fecal bile acids in infants.
abstract: Fecal bile acid patterns and concentrations have been determined for 28 infants who were followed from average ages of 3-11 months. Half were solely breast-fed and half were solely formula-fed at the beginning of the study. Breast-fed infants were found to have significantly (p less than 0.05) lower concentrations of cholic acid than the formula-fed group, up to an average age of 5 months. Concentrations of deoxycholic and lithocholic acids were directionally lower in breast-fed infants at all ages. Concentrations of chenodeoxycholic acid were similar for both groups throughout the study. At the end of the study, breast-fed infants were excreting 17% of their total bile acids in the form of secondary acids, compared to 33% for formula-fed infants. This pattern persisted long after the infants began weaning. Formula-fed infants were found to have lithocholic acid in their stools at a significantly (p less than 0.05) earlier age than breast-fed infants. Appearance of deoxycholic acid was at similar ages for both groups. Both of these secondary acids were found to occur at much younger ages (approximately 2 months) than has been previously reported. These observed differences are attributed to the distinct intestinal microbial populations encouraged by the different diets.
authors.affiliation: Procter & Gamble Company, Miami Valley Laboratories, Cincinnati, Ohio 45239.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hammons
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Taulbee
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts