Vitamin E in human serum and colostrum under fasting and postprandial conditions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate alpha-tocopherol concentrations in maternal serum and colostrum under fasting and postprandial conditions.


METHODS
Thirty healthy childbearing women were recruited in a public maternity hospital, and samples of blood, fasting colostrum, and postprandial colostrum were collected from them up to 12 hours after delivery.


RESULTS
The serum alpha-tocopherol concentration was 1,939.8+/-766.0 microg/dL. Alpha-tocopherol levels in fasting colostrum (1,603.4+/-911.0 microg/dL) and in postprandial colostrum (1,515.0+/-890.9 microg/dL) did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). There was correlation between alpha-tocopherol levels in fasting and postprandial colostrum (p < 0.05), but not between serum and colostrum.


CONCLUSIONS
The lack of correlation between alpha-tocopherol levels in plasma and in colostrum, and the correlation between alpha-tocopherol concentrations in fasting and postprandial colostrum support the existence of a mechanism that controls the transfer of this nutrient, regardless of dietary intake.
Dimenstein
Roberto
R
Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil. robertod@ufrnet.br
Medeiros
Ana C P
AC
Cunha
Lahyana R F
LR
Araújo
Katherine F
KF
Dantas
Juliana C O
JC
Macedo
Thamizy M S
TM
Stamford
Tânia L M
TL
D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology; D019518:Postprandial Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood*
D024502:alpha-Tocopherol