1. Revisiting One-Carbon Metabolites in Human Breast Milk: Focus on S-Adenosylmethionine
- Author
-
Carles Lerin, María Carmen Collado, Elvira Isganaitis, Erland Arning, Brandi Wasek, Ellen W. Demerath, David A. Fields, and Teodoro Bottiglieri
- Subjects
breast milk ,breastfeeding ,milk formula ,one-carbon metabolism ,S-adenosylmethionine ,Nutrition. Foods and food supply ,TX341-641 - Abstract
Breastfeeding is the gold standard for early nutrition. Metabolites from the one-carbon metabolism pool are crucial for infant development. The aim of this study is to compare the breast-milk one-carbon metabolic profile to other biofluids where these metabolites are present, including cord and adult blood plasma as well as cerebrospinal fluid. Breast milk (n = 142), cord blood plasma (n = 23), maternal plasma (n = 28), aging adult plasma (n = 91), cerebrospinal fluid (n = 92), and infant milk formula (n = 11) samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS to quantify choline, betaine, methionine, S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, total homocysteine, and cystathionine. Differences between groups were visualized by principal component analysis and analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis test. Correlation analysis was performed between one-carbon metabolites in human breast milk. Principal component analysis based on these metabolites separated breast milk samples from other biofluids. The S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) concentration was significantly higher in breast milk compared to the other biofluids and was absent in infant milk formulas. Despite many significant correlations between metabolites in one-carbon metabolism, there were no significant correlations between SAM and methionine or total homocysteine. Together, our data indicate a high concentration of SAM in breast milk, which may suggest a strong demand for this metabolite during infant early growth while its absence in infant milk formulas may indicate the inadequacy of this vital metabolic nutrient.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF