Ar. Giuliano et al., QUANTITATION OF AND INTER INTRA-INDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY IN MAJOR CAROTENOIDS OF MATURE HUMAN-MILK/, Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 5(11), 1994, pp. 551-556
The quantitation of carotenoids from milk has been technically challen
ging due to the small quantities present, insolubility and instability
of the carotenoids, and significant inter-and intra-individual variat
ion. Here we report methods for extraction and quantitation by high pr
essure liquid chromatography of the major carotenoids, beta-Cryptoxant
hin, lycopene, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene in a normal populatio
n of lactating lactating women. Methodology to evaluate and protocol t
o accommodate the significant variation in carotenoids of human milk i
s also presented. Carotenoids present in the highest concentrations in
breastmilk of these mothers were lycopene and beta-carotene at 31.2 a
nd 45.9 nM respectively, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene concentratio
ns in this population of mothers showed the greatest variation, rangin
g as much as 20-fold between individuals. The remaining carotenoids va
ried fourfold to sixfold across individuals. Within individuals, carot
enoid concentrations varied from twofold to fivefold when measured on
separate days. For an individual on a single day, breastmilk carotenoi
d concentrations vary as much as fourfold and are strongly correlated
with lipid concentrations. For routine field collections, a collection
protocol was developed that will approximate 24-hr collections of a p
opulation of mothers within 10%.