Fatty acid composition of the milk lipids of Fulani women and the serum phospholipids of their exclusively breast-fed infants

We previously reported that, relative to milk of women elsewhere in the wor ld, the lipid fraction of milk of Fulani women in northern Nigeria containe d relatively low proportions of alpha -linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic a cid (DHA). This led us to question the essential fatty acid status of Fulan i infants and the relation between the proportion of critical n-3 and n-6 f atty acids in the serum phospholipids of the mothers, their milk, and the s erum phospholipids of their exclusively breast-fed infants. We were also in terested in the effect de novo intermediate chain length-fatty acids (C10-C 14) had on the proportions of critical and non-essential fatty acids in mil k. Capillary gas-liquid chromatography was used to analyze the fatty acid c ontent of the total milk lipids of 34 Fulani women, as well as the fatty ac id content of serum phospholipids of the women and their breast-fed infants during the first 6 months of life. The proportions of critical n-3 and n-6 fatty acids in the milk of the Fulani women were adequate, but the proport ions of these same fatty acids were low in their exclusively breast-fed inf ants. The serum phospholipids of the infants contained 18.8% linoleic acid, 0.13% alpha -linolenic acid, 12.8% arachidonic acid, and 3.40% DHA, wherea s, the mean percentages of linoleic, alpha -linolenic, arachidonic and DHA in the serum phospholipids of the Fulani mothers' were 21.4, 0.20, 9.79, an d 1.97, respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between fatty acid content of serum phospholipids of Fulani women and the fatty acid con tent of their milk lipids. As the proportion of C10-C14 fatty acids in the milli lipids increased, the proportions of critical n-3 and n-6 fatty acids in milk remained relatively constant; however, proportions of three non-es sential fatty acids decreased dramatically. C10-C14 fatty acids do not appe ar to displace critical n-3 and n-6 fatty acids in milk. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.