title: Content of lipid nutrients in the milk of Fulani women.
abstract: Little is known about the nutrition of the infants of the Fulani, migratory nomads of the western Sahel of Africa. Milk was collected from 18 Fulani women 10 to 30 days postpartum and the fatty acid compositions of the triacylglycerol and phospholipid fractions were determined by capillary gas-liquid chromatography. De novo fatty acids (10:0-14:0) comprised 36.3 +/- 12.7% of fatty acids of the triacylglycerols. Compared to the milk of various populations worldwide, the milk of the Fulani women contained adequate proportions of alpha-linolenic acid (0.50 +/- 0.16%) and arachidonic acid (0.42 +/- 0.22%), but relatively low amounts of linoleic acid (9.95 +/- 2.13%) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (0.15 +/- 0.08%). In addition, the milk of the Fulani women contained adequate concentrations of beta-carotene (1.58 +/- 0.69 micrograms/dl) and vitamin A (42.7 +/- 40.3 micrograms/dl), but very low levels of vitamin E (0.11 +/- 0.10 mg/dl). These data indicate that exclusively breasted infants of Fulani women were receiving relatively low amounts of critical fatty acids and vitamin E.
authors.affiliation: University of New Mexico, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Schmeits
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Okolo
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: VanderJagt
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tsin
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Glew
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009548:Niger; D009549:Nigeria; D009753:Nutritive Value; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E