Milk and Plasma Lutein and Zeaxanthin Concentrations in Chinese Breast-Feeding Mother–Infant Dyads With Healthy Maternal Fruit and Vegetable Intake*

Abstract

Objectives: While others have reported that milk from coastal Chinese women contains high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, no research has determined the corresponding infant plasma response. Whether infant plasma levels increase commensurately provides important guidance for supplementation of these increasingly intriguing carotenoids in breast-feeding mothers and formula-fed infants.Methods: Fifty-six mother–infant pairs with a maternal diet rich in eggs, green leafy vegetables, and fruit were enrolled between 6 and 16 weeks of lactation. Milk samples and blood samples from both the mother and infant were collected at entry. Maternal 3-day dietary records and a second milk sample were collected 1 to 3 weeks later.Results: Mean milk lutein concentrations in samples 1 and 2 were 6.5 and 7.7 μg/dL (range 1–22.5 μg/dL), and for zeaxanthin, 1.6 and 1.7 μg/dL (range 1–5.9 μg/dL). Lutein concentrations in infant plasma (18.2 μg/dL) were similar to those in maternal plasma (21.6 μg/dL); zeaxanthin was lower than lutein in both maternal (3.1 μg/dL) and infant (2.9 μg/dL) plasma. Infant and maternal mean plasma lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations were higher than those in both milk samples 1 and 2 (lutein, 6.9 and 8.2 μg/dL; zeaxanthin, 1.9 and 2.0 μg/dL). Infant plasma lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations positively correlated with those in milk sample 1 (lutein, r2 = 0.15, p = 0.004; zeaxanthin, r2 = 0.21, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Together, these results reveal that high milk concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin driven by healthy maternal intakes of xanthophyll rich foods are associated with high infant plasma concentrations. These findings will be useful for determining appropriate lutein fortification strategies.Clinical Study.gov registration number: NCT01669655.