Taste of Milk from Inflamed Breasts of Breastfeeding Mothers with Mastitis Evaluated Using a Taste Sensor

Abstract

Background: The refusal of infants to suckle from a breast that is inflamed with mastitis suggests that the taste of the milk has changed. However, the taste of milk from a breast with mastitis has never been empirically determined. The present study compares the taste of milk from breastfeeding mothers with or without mastitis and identifies specific changes in the taste of milk from mothers with mastitis. Subjects and Methods: The intensity of four basic tastes (sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami) of breastmilk from 24 healthy mothers at 3-5 days and at 2-3, 4-5, and 8-10 weeks postpartum and from 14 mothers with mastitis was determined objectively using a taste sensor. The intensity of each basic taste and the concentrations of main taste substances in milk were compared between the inflamed breasts and the normal breasts of control mothers or the contralateral asymptomatic breast of mothers with unilateral mastitis. Results: The transition from colostrum to mature milk was accompanied by changes in the taste of the milk, such as decreased saltiness and umami and increased bitterness and sourness. Umami and saltiness increased in milk from inflamed breasts. Contents of sodium, glutamate, and guanosine monophosphate increased in milk from inflamed breasts. Conclusions: Tastes that were specifically associated with inflamed breasts appeared to include an increase in umami and saltiness, which might have resulted from an increased content in factors associated with umami and sodium.

Milk-derived miRNA profiles elucidate molecular pathways that underlie breast dysfunction in women with common genetic variants in SLC30A2

“…Functional studies in vitro suggest that D 103 E is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and lysosomes, and results in “loss-of-function” and significant shifts in cell cycle 23 . While this is consistent with the observation that women who harbor D 103 E have modestly elevated milk sodium levels, a classic hallmark of breast dysfunction 25–28 , the molecular defects are not yet understood. The T 288 S substitution is also predicted to be located within the cytoplasmic C-terminus (Fig.…”

Sensory characteristics of human milk: Association between mothers' diet and milk for bitter taste

“…A significant correlation was also found between glutamic acid and umami taste, which was expected based on the fact glutamic acid has umami taste (Nishimura and Kato, 1988). However, this result contradicts the study conducted by Yoshida et al (2014), who did not find a correlation between glutamic acid and umami taste in human milk from breasts inflamed with mastitis. This can possibly be explained by the fact that in mastitic breast tissue permeability is higher and the secretory ability of the mammary glands is reduced (Nguyen and Neville, 1998).…”

“…Another study compared human milks of mothers with mastitis and noninflamed breasts. Taste intensities measured with an instrumental taste sensor (SA402B E-tongue sensor, Higuchi, Tokyo, Japan) significantly correlated with composition of milks, specifically instrumentally determined sourness correlated positively with lactose content, instrumentally determined saltiness with lactose (positive) and calcium content (positive), and instrumentally determined bitterness with calcium content (negative), urea content (positive) and pH (negative; Yoshida et al, 2014).…”

Mastitis While Breastfeeding: Prevention, the Importance of Proper Treatment, and Potential Complications

“…Sometimes infants refuse to breastfeed due to decreased milk production in the inflamed breast, a characteristic of mastitis, or due to a change in milk taste. Mastitis affects the biochemical composition of the milk, and as a result, the milk becomes saltier [ 8 , 9 ]. A woman who is unable to breastfeed the inflamed breast due to the baby’s refusal or for any other reason should pump or hand express the milk, as a sudden cessation of milk removal can cause the development of an abscess [ 1 , 4 ].…”