Correlations of Fat Content in Human Milk with Fat Droplet Size and Phospholipid Species

• Main Authors: Beibei Duan, Eun-Sik Hong, Jung-Ah Shin, Yan Qin, Jeung-Hee Lee, Chi-Woo Lee, Ki-Teak Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: human milk fat; fat globule size; phospholipids; compositional correlation; HPLC-ELSD; ³¹P NMR
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/6/1596

Fat globule size and phospholipid (PL) content in human milk (HM) were investigated. HM was classified into three groups depending on fat content (A < B < C). PL content (mg/100 g HM) was significantly higher in the C group (<i>p</i> < 0.05), indicating its positive relationship with HM fat content. When the PL content was normalized (mg/g fat), that of group A was significantly higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and fat droplet size in group C was slightly larger, suggesting that HM fat content is affected by fat droplet numbers to a larger extent than by fat droplet size. A correlation between PC and SM content in HM was observed regardless of fat content, while correlation between PE and either PC or SM increased in the order of C > B > A, hence the composition and content of PL species in HM varied according to its fat content.