Dietary Epicatechin Is Available to Breastfed Infants through Human Breast Milk in the Form of Host and Microbial Metabolites.
Polyphenols play an important role in human health. To address their accessibility to a breastfed infant, we planned to evaluate whether breast milk (BM) (colostrum, transitional, and mature) epicatechin metabolites could be related to the dietary habits of mothers. The polyphenol consumption of breastfeeding mothers was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire and 24 h recalls. Solid-phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UPLC-MS/MS) was applied for direct epicatechin metabolite analysis. Their bioavailability in BM as a result of dietary ingestion was confirmed in a preliminary experiment with a single dose of dark chocolate. Several host and microbial phase II metabolites of epicatechin were detected in BM among free-living lactating mothers. Interestingly, a modest correlation between dihydroxyvalerolactone sulfate and the intake of cocoa products was observed. Although a very low percentage of dietary polyphenols is excreted in BM, they are definitely in the diet of breastfed infants. Therefore, evaluation of their role in infant health could be further promoted.
Biomarkers and Nutrimetabolomics Laboratory, Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology Reference Net (XaRTA), Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Olha
O
Khymenets
Biomarkers and Nutrimetabolomics Laboratory, Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology Reference Net (XaRTA), Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Montserrat
M
Rabassa
Laboratorios Ordesa S.L., Barcelona Science Park , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
María
M
Rodríguez-Palmero
Laboratorios Ordesa S.L., Barcelona Science Park , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Montserrat
M
Rivero-Urgell
Biomarkers and Nutrimetabolomics Laboratory, Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology Reference Net (XaRTA), Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Mireia
M
Urpi-Sarda
Biomarkers and Nutrimetabolomics Laboratory, Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology Reference Net (XaRTA), Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.|Biomedical Research Institute (IBIMA), Service of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Complex Virgen de la Victoria , 29071 Malaga, Spain.
Sara
S
Tulipani
Excellence Centre for Paediatric Research, Biomedical Research Centre, Health Sciences Technological Park, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio , 18012 Granada, Spain.
Pilar
P
Brandi
Excellence Centre for Paediatric Research, Biomedical Research Centre, Health Sciences Technological Park, Hospital Universitario San Cecilio , 18012 Granada, Spain.|Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Granada , 18012 Granada, Spain.
Cristina
C
Campoy
GIP-USAL, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca , 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
Celestino
C
Santos-Buelga
Biomarkers and Nutrimetabolomics Laboratory, Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology Reference Net (XaRTA), Nutrition and Food Safety Research Institute (INSA), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Cristina
C
Andres-Lacueva
D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002099:Cacao / Q000378:metabolism; D002392:Catechin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D002392:Catechin
breastfeeding; cocoa; dietary polyphenols; epicatechin host and microbiota metabolites; human breast milk