HPLC-MS, GC and NMR Profiling of Bioactive Lipids of Human Milk and Milk of Dairy Animals (Cow, Sheep, Goat, Buffalo, Camel, Red Deer)

Abstract

For non-bovine milks, information regarding bioactive lipids is fragmented, unreliable or unavailable. The purpose of the current study was to analyse bioactive lipids in the milk of dairy animals using modern analytical methods to achieve the most reliable results. Bioactive lipids in human milk were also analysed and used as a reference. A suite of modern analytical methods was employed, namely High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS), Gas Chromatography (GC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The total lipid content was determined, and phospholipid, fatty acid, neutral glycosphingolipids and ganglioside (GM3 and GD3) levels were measured. Lipid classes in selected milks were reliably characterised for the first time, including gangliosides in deer, camel and sheep; cerebrosides in deer, camel and buffalo; plasmalogens in deer, buffalo and goat and phospholipids in deer. Our study demonstrated the advantage of utilising a range of analytical techniques in order to characterise a diverse set of bioactive lipids.

Characteristics of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Milk: Lactational Changes in Composition and Processing Impacts on Structural and Gelation Properties

“…Their abundance in deer milk compared with other ruminant milks might arise from the diversity of rumen microbiota in different ruminant species. Finally, α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n3) was more abundant in the deer milk fat than in bovine, ovine, and caprine milk fats [ 19 , 25 , 29 , 30 ], largely agreeing with the results reported by Lagutin et al [ 28 ].…”

“…The most abundant fatty acids in the deer milk were C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 c9, C14:0, and C4:0. The level of C16:0 in the deer milk fat was similar to those in caprine and ovine milks and lower than that in bovine milk, previously reported in New Zealand [ 19 , 28 , 29 ]. The deer milk fat was more abundant in C18:0 and C4:0 fatty acids and contained less C8–C12 fatty acids, C17:1, and cis-9,trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than bovine, ovine, and caprine milk fats [ 19 , 25 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Effects of infant feeding with goat milk formula or cow milk formula on atopic dermatitis: protocol of the randomised controlled Goat Infant Formula Feeding and Eczema (GIraFFE) trial

“…In a murine model of AD, inclusion of goat milk lipids into the diet had reduced inflammation 32. The complexity of goat milk lipids, including sterols, sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids, seems similar to cow milk lipids 33 34. The different proteins and polar lipids in the formula let us expect effects on the plasma metabolome and the gut microbiome as suggested by previous human and animal studies, respectively 35–37.…”

“… 32 The complexity of goat milk lipids, including sterols, sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids, seems similar to cow milk lipids. 33 34 The different proteins and polar lipids in the formula let us expect effects on the plasma metabolome and the gut microbiome as suggested by previous human and animal studies, respectively. 35–37 These biomarkers might enable mechanistic insights into associations between infant diet and the risk of AD development.…”

A comprehensive review on infant formula: nutritional and functional constituents, recent trends in processing and its impact on infants’ gut microbiota

“…Moreover, human milk and mare’s milk contain less saturated fatty acids than the milks of other species ( 34 ). Lipid classes in selected milks include cerebrosides in camel, deer & buffalo; gangliosides in deer, sheep & camel; and plasmalogens in buffalo, deer & goat ( 35 ).…”