Fatty acid compositions of colostrum and mature breast milk in Turkey (Mardin)

In this study, 25-25 milk samples (25 colostral and 25 mature) collected at different lactational stages were used to analyse the fatty acid composition of breast milk. A gas-chromatographic method was used to perform and analyse the transmethylation of total milk lipid extracts. The milk samples contained 20 different fatty acids. Palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), myristic acid (C14:0), oleic acid (C18:1n-9), and linoleic acid (LA, C18:2n-6) were the major components of total lipid, phospholipid (PL), and triacylglycerol (TAG) fractions. Colostrum had a lower percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), and a lower level of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3) in total lipid than mature milk. Triacylglycerol and PL fractions between colostrum and mature milk samples did not differ statistically.