Fatty acid composition of human milk in different regions of Slovenia

Background: The fatty acid composition of human colostrum lipids is influenced by maternal diet. We measured the fatty acid composition of colostrum lipids in Slovenia. Methods: Milk samples were collected on the 3rd day postpartum from 41 women recruited in three Slovenian regions (Celje, Ljubljana and Koper). Dietary habits were examined by a food-frequency questionnaire. In situ transesterification and capillary gas chromatography were performed to determine the fatty acid composition. Results: The coefficients of variation of the determinations of individual fatty acids accounting for >0.09 wt% were 1.87-5.91%. Between regional areas there were differences in the contents of linoleic (12.62-17.35 wt%; p < 0.001) and <alpha>-linolenic acid (0.70-1.07 wt%; p < 0.01), whereas the linoleic/<alpha>-linolenic acid ratios were similar (15.8 in Celje, 16.3 in Ljubljana and 17.9 in Koper). The highest proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) was in Celje (0.49 wt%), the lowest in Ljubljana (0.35 wt%; p < 0.05). The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCP) content did not correlate with linoleic and a-linolenic acid, but there was a correlation between the sum of n-3 and n-6 LCPs. The colostrum linoleic/<alpha>-linolenic acid ratio was positively correlated with the body mass index during pregnancy. Conclusions: The fatty acid composition of colostrum lipids in Slovenia shows some variation according to geographical regions. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.