title: Effect of holder pasteurisation on human milk glycosaminoglycans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The benefits of human milk for preterm infants are mainly the result of its nutritional characteristics and the presence of biologically active compounds. Among these compounds, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) play an emerging leading role. When mother's milk is unavailable or in short supply, pasteurised donor milk represents an important nutritional alternative. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Holder pasteurisation on the concentration of different GAGs in preterm human milk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Milk samples collected from 9 mothers having delivered preterm were divided into 2 parts. One part of each sample was immediately frozen (-80°C), whereas the other part was pasteurised with the Holder method before being frozen at -80°C. Specific analytical procedures were applied to evaluate the amount, composition, and structure of main human milk GAGs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significative differences were measured between not-treated and pasteurised samples for total GAGs content, relative percentages of chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate, and main parameters related to galactosaminoglycans structure, even if a slight decrease of total GAGs content of ∼18% was observed in treated samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that the Holder pasteurisation does not significatively affect the concentration of the main human milk GAGs.
authors.affiliation: *Neonatal Unit, Department of Public Health and Pediatric, University of Turin, Turin †Department of Clinical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ospedali Riuniti, Ancona ‡Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena §Italian Association of Human Milk Banks, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coscia
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peila
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertino
authors.forename: Giovanni V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Coppa
authors.forename: Guido E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Moro
authors.forename: Orazio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zampini
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Galeazzi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maccari
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Volpi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053000:Analytic Sample Preparation Methods; D000837:Anion Exchange Resins; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007774:Lactation; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D061352:Pasteurization; D049590:Postpartum Period; D047928:Premature Birth; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D000837:Anion Exchange Resins; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans