The identity of the cholesteryl esters in human milk

Abstract

Abstract Milk samples were collected from 11 mothers who were at least 4 weeks postpartum. The amounts of fat and the fatty acid compositions of cholesteryl esters (CE) and triacylglycerols (TG) in the milk were determined. The mean concentration of total milk lipid was 3.01 gm/100 ml of milk±.42 SD. The major fatty acids esterified with CE and TG were 16∶0, cis 18∶1 and 18∶2. The patterns were similar except for a greater proportion of cis 18∶1 in the CE. The major trans fatty acid detected was the 18∶1 isomer which accounted for 4.48% of the TG fatty acids and 2.96% of the CE fatty acids.