title: Assessment of phytochemical content in human milk during different stages of lactation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study reports the presence of several carotenoids and flavonoids in human milk samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples were collected from 17 women who delivered healthy term babies (≥ 37 wk of gestation) at 1-, 4-, and 13-wk postpartum intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epicatechin (63.7-828.5 nmol/L), epicatechin gallate (55.7-645.6 nmol/L), epigallocatechin gallate (215.1-2364.7 nmol/L), naringenin (64.1-722.0 nmol/L), kaempferol (7.8-71.4 nmol/L), hesperetin (74.8-1603.1 nmol/L), and quercetin (32.5-108.6 nmol/L) were present in human milk samples with high inter-/intraindividual variability. With the exception of kaempferol, the mean flavonoid content in human milk was not statistically different among lactation stages. In contrast, carotenoids α-carotene (59.0-23.2 nmol/L), β-carotene (164.3-88.0 nmol/L), α-cryptoxanthin (30.6-13.5 nmol/L), β-cryptoxanthin (57.4-24.8 nmol/L), zeaxanthin (46.3-21.4 nmol/L), lutein (121.2-56.4 nmol/L), and lycopene (119.9-49.5 nmol/L) significantly decreased from weeks 1 to 13 of lactation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observed differences in the relative concentrations of the two phytochemical classes in human milk may be a result of several factors, including dietary exposure, stability in the milk matrix, efficiency of absorption/metabolism, and transfer from plasma to human milk. These data support the notion that flavonoids, as with carotenoids, are dietary phytochemicals present in human milk and potentially available to breast-fed infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zeina E
authors.initials: ZE
authors.lastname: Jouni
authors.forename: Mario G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ferruzzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis*; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D005260:Female; D044950:Flavanones / Q000032:analysis; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis*; D006569:Hesperidin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D044949:Kaempferols / Q000032:analysis; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D014975:Lutein / Q000032:analysis; D000077276:Lycopene; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011794:Quercetin / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000032:analysis; D065146:Zeaxanthins
chemical_list: D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D044950:Flavanones; D005419:Flavonoids; D044949:Kaempferols; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D002338:Carotenoids; C006552:kaempferol; D002392:Catechin; D011794:Quercetin; D006569:Hesperidin; C005273:naringenin; C013015:hesperetin; D000077276:Lycopene; D014975:Lutein