Human milk metabolome is associated with symptoms of maternal psychological distress and milk cortisol. (15th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kortesniemi, Maaria; Slupsky, Carolyn M.; Aatsinki, Anna-Katariina; Sinkkonen, Jari; Karlsson, Linnea; Linderborg, Kaisa M.; Yang, Baoru; Karlsson, Hasse; Kailanto, Henna-Maria
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 356(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09-15
• Subjects: CV coefficient of variation -- DSS-d6 3-(trimethylsilyl)-1-propanesulfonic acid-d6 -- EPDS Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale -- FDR false discovery rate -- FL fucosyllactose -- HC high milk cortisol -- HMO human milk oligosaccharide -- HPA hypothalamus-pituitaryadrenal -- LC/LD low milk cortisol low distress -- LDFT lactodifucotetraose -- LNFP lacto-N-fucopentaose -- LNnT lacto-N-neotetraose -- LNT lacto-N-tetraose -- MCFA medium-chain fatty acid -- NMR nuclear magnetic resonance -- NOESY Nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy -- PCA principal components analysis -- PEMT phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyl transferase -- PRAQ Pregnancy Anxieties Questionnaire -- SCFA short-chain fatty acid -- SCL-90 Symptom Checklist‐90 anxiety subscale -- SL sialyllactose -- SPS sum of prenatal (symptom) scores -- TCA cycle tricarboxylic acid cycle; 1H NMR -- Cortisol -- Human milk -- Lactation -- Metabolomics -- Stress; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129628
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Ten metabolites are associated with maternal stress with statistical significance. Psychological distress is positively associated with fatty acids and hypoxanthine. Concentration of milk cortisol is positively associated with milk lactate. Abstract: The composition of human milk is subject to considerable variation, but the effects of maternal stress are largely unknown. We studied differences in human milk metabolome between Finnish mothers ( n = 120, secretors) with symptoms of prenatal symptoms of psychological distress and milk cortisol concentrations. Human milk samples acquired at 2.5 months postpartum were analyzed using targeted 1 H NMR metabolomics. Self-reported scores for depression (EPDS), overall anxiety (SCL-90), and pregnancy-related anxiety (PRAQ) were used to evaluate psychological distress. Prenatal psychological distress was positively associated with concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, caprate, and hypoxanthine ( q < 0.0012). Milk cortisol was positively associated with lactate concentration ( q < 0.05). Changes in the human milk metabolome were shown to be associated with maternal psychological distress and concentration of milk cortisol in a dissimilarly, suggesting alterations in bacterial and energy metabolism of the mother, respectively.