In this large multicenter study, we observed statistically significant differences in the OPN concentration and the OPN/protein% in human milk samples between countries. Based on mothers delivering more than 1 sample, a significant decrease within the lactation period was observed.

Thirty-four samples of human milk (HM) collected from mothers in Korea were classified into three groups according to their fat content. The lutein + zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene, lycopene, α-carotene, and fatty acids (FAs) present in the HM were quantitatively analyzed. Lutein + zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin were the most abundant carotenoid components in this study, followed by β-carotene. When the classified groups were compared in terms of the content of each carotenoid, there was no statistical difference (p > 0.05), indicating that there is no correlation between the content of fat and carotenoid in HM. The mean content of saturated FAs (SFAs), monounsaturated FAs, and polyunsaturated FAs in the analyzed HM were 1.46, 1.36, and 0.83 g/100 g, respectively. In addition, the mean content of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were 0.02 and 0.029 g/100 g, respectively. Alternatively, all FAs except for certain SFAs (i.e., C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, and C14:0) did not show statistical difference in composition among the three groups (p > 0.05), indicating that the differences in the fat content of HM have limited influence on the FA composition of HM.

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