Effect of maternal supplementation with vitamin E on the concentration of α-tocopherol in colostrum.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of maternal supplementation with vitamin E on the concentration of α-tocopherol in colostrum and its supply to the newborn.


METHODS
This randomized clinical trial enrolled 99 healthy adult pregnant women; of these, 39 were assigned to the control group and 60 to the supplemented group. After an overnight fast, 5mL of blood and 2mL of colostrum were collected. After the first sampling (0h milk), the supplemented group received 400IU of supplementary vitamin E. Another 2mL milk aliquot was collected in both groups 24h after supplementation (24h milk). The samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The α-tocopherol content provided by colostrum was calculated by considering a daily intake of 396mL of milk and comparing the resulting value to the recommended daily intake for infants aged 0-6 months (4mg/day).


RESULTS
The initial mean concentration of α-tocopherol in colostrum was 1509.3±793.7μg/dL in the control group and 1452.9±808.6μg/dL in the supplemented group. After 24h, the mean α-tocopherol concentration was 1650.6±968.7μg/dL in the control group (p>0.05) and 2346.9±1203.2μg/dL in the supplemented group (p<0.001), increasing the vitamin E supply to the newborn to 9.3mg/day. Initially, 18 women in the supplemented group provided colostrum α-tocopherol contents below 4mg/day; after supplementation only six continued to provide less than the recommended amount.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal vitamin E supplementation increases the supply of the vitamin to the infant by providing more than twice the Recommended Daily Intake.
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Departamento de Bioquímica, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Larisse Rayanne Miranda de
LR
Melo
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Departamento de Bioquímica, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Heleni Aires
HA
Clemente
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Departamento de Bioquímica, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Dalila Fernandes
DF
Bezerra
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Departamento de Bioquímica, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Raquel Costa Silva
RC
Dantas
Universidade Potiguar (UnP), Departamento de Biotecnologia, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Héryka Myrna Maia
HM
Ramalho
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Departamento de Bioquímica, Natal, RN, Brazil. Electronic address: rdimenstein@gmail.com.
Roberto
R
Dimenstein
D000328:Adult; D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis*
D014815:Vitamins; D014810:Vitamin E; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol
Alfa-tocoferol; Alpha-tocopherol; Colostro humano; Human colostrum; Maternal supplementation; Newborn; Nutritional needs; Recém-nascido; Requerimento nutricional; Suplementação materna; Vitamin E; Vitamina E