FATTY-ACID COMPOSITIONS OF COLOSTRUM, CORD-BLOOD, MATERNAL BLOOD AND MAJOR INFANT FORMULAS IN JAPAN

Lipid profiles in colostrum, cord blood, maternal blood and major infa nt formulas in Japan were analyzed. In the first part of the study, co lostrum obtained from 36 normal delivery women and six kinds of infant formulas provided by three major milk companies were analyzed for the ir fatty acid composition using capillary gas-lipid chromatography. Al though enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the percent compositi on of DHA in the six infant formulas (0.15-0.21%) was significantly lo wer than that in the colostrum (1.1+/-0.54). Arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were present in the colostrum but not det ectable in the infant formulas. It is recommended that although the ex act amount of specific fatty acids needed in the infant diet was not c ompletely known, to be as close as possible to natural breast milk, th e level of DHA, EPA and AA should be raised in the infant formulas. In the second part of the study, 19 pairs of maternal and cord blood wer e analyzed for their lipid profile. All samples were from normal vagin al delivery. The measurement of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholip ids and free fatty acids was performed with commercially available enz ymatic methods on an automated discrete random access analyzer. Total fatty acid was determined as described in the first part of the study. The results were analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficien t. No correlation could be found between maternal and fetal concentrat ions of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids or total fatty acids . Correlation could be found in non-esterified fatty acids, in palmiti c acids, and oleic acid levels. It was concluded that the lipid transp ort and metabolism in the fetal-placenta unit is complex and further d elicate investigation is required.