Gas chromatographic determination of fatty acid composition in breast milk of mothers with different health conditions

Abstract Human milk (HM) of healthy, well-nourished, lactating mothers is a unique and ideal source nutritive factors, like hormones, cytokines, chemokines, growth factors that ensures the proper development infants. Among main components HM, fat an important energy regulatory factor. The quality depends on its fatty acid (FA) composition. Gas chromatography coupled with flame ionisation detection one most common methods for analysis FA profile HM. aim this study was to evaluate composition collected from different health conditions (normal Body Mass Index (nBMI); overweight obese) using GC-FID method. results showed saturated FAs were present in highest amount HM samples, which palmitic representative. major monounsaturated oleic acid, while linoleic abundant polyunsaturated (PUFA). Overweight obese women have lower levels PUFA their breast milk. data subjected principal component quadratic discriminant (QDA). QDA classified nBMI mother samples 88.24% accuracy. Significant differences found between normal case C10:0 C18:3 FAs. Higher maternal BMI associated higher n-6/n-3 ratio.