Objectives: To determine the alpha-tocopherol concentration in breast milk at different periods of lactation and to estimate the possible supply of vitamin E to the infant.Methods: A longitudinal observational study was carried out with 100 mothers at University Hospital Ana Bezerra (HUAB), at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, in Santa Cruz (RN), Northeast Brazil. Samples of colostrum (n=100), transitional milk (n=77), and mature milk (n=63) were collected. Alpha-tocopherol was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Vitamin supply to the newborn was estimated by comparing the nutritional requirement of vitamin E (4 mg/day) with the potential daily intake of milk.Results: The mean alpha-tocopherol concentration found in colostrum, transitional, and mature milk was 40.5±15.0 µmol/L, 13.9±5.2 µmol/L, and 8.0±3.8 µmol/L, respectively (p<0.001). The possible effect of these milks offered to the infant 6.2 mg/day of vitamin E in colostrum, 4.7 mg/day in transitional milk, and 2.7 mg/day in mature milk (p<0.0001), shows that only the mature milk did not guarantee the recommended quantity of this vitamin.Conclusions: Alpha-tocopherol levels in human milk decrease through the progression of lactation, and the possible intake of colostrum and transitional milk met the nutritional requirement of the infant. Mature milk may provide smaller amounts of vitamin E. Thus, it is important to study the factors that are associated with such low levels.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the levels of α-tocopherol in colostrum and in the serum
of healthy and diabetic mothers.METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 51 volunteer mothers, 20 with the diagnosis
of gestational diabetes mellitus and 31 without associated diseases. Serum and
colostrum samples were collected in fasting in the immediate postpartum period and
α-tocopherol was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In
order to define the nutritional status of vitamin E, the cutoff point for the
serum (697.7µg/dL) was adopted. Student's t-test for independent variables
compared the average concentrations of α-tocopherol in the serum and in the
colostrum between control and gestational diabetes mellitus groups. Pearson's
correlation was used to assess the relationship between the concentration of
α-tocopherol in serum and colostrum for both groups. Differences were considered
significant when p<0.05.RESULTS: The α-tocopherol concentration in colostrum was 1,483.1±533.8µg/dL for Control
Group and 1,368.8±681.8µg/dL for diabetic women, without differences between
groups (p=0.50). However, α-tocopherol concentration in the serum
was 1,059.5±372.7µg/dL in the Control Group and 1,391.4±531.5µg/dL in the diabetic
one (p<0.01). No correlation was found between the
concentration of α-tocopherol in the serum and in the colostrum for control and
diabetic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The groups had adequate nutritional status of vitamin E. Gestational diabetes was
not associated with changes in α-tocopherol concentration in colostrum.
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