Browsing by Author "Jia LL"

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    Concentration of 12 Oligosaccharides in the Milk of New Zealand Breastfeeding Women
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-03-23) Jia LL; Brough L; Weber JL; Smith C; Mackay S; Jalili-Moghaddam S; Gibbs M
    Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the third most abundant component in breast milk. HMOs benefit infant gut health, modulate immune responses, and promote brain development. The profile and concentration of HMOs vary considerably among breastfeeding women, and are reported to be associated with genetic, maternal, and environmental factors as well as feeding practices. One reason for the diversity in HMO concentration is the secretor gene, which determines the presence of an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of 2′-FL and LNFP-I. To date, there is no report about HMO concentration or profile in the New Zealand population. Our objective was to investigate 12 HMO concentrations in a small sample of New Zealand women. Sixty-eight breastfeeding mothers (mean age 32 years, 77% Caucasian) of singleton infants (median age [Q1, Q3] 108 [70, 166] days) were included, with 65% exclusively breastfeeding and 54% who had two or more children. Concentrations of 12 HMOs were measured by UHPLC with fluorescence detection. Overall, 68% of mothers were secretors, which was defined by the presence of 2′-FL in the milk. HMO profiles varied widely; total HMO concentration varied 4.2-fold between women; and individual HMOs varied from 4.8-fold to >100-fold. The median of total HMO concentration (Q1, Q3) of the secretors and non-secretors were 6774.9 (6395.4, 8245.6) mg/L and 7128.0 (6093.1, 7880.1) mg/L respectively. Significant differences in concentration of 2′-FL, 3-FL, A-Tet, LNFP-I, LNFP-II, LNFPV, and LNnT between secretors and non-secretors were found by Mann–Whitney tests. However, there was no significant difference in concentrations of LNFP-III, LNnFP, 3′-SL, 6′-SL, LNT, or total HMOs between the secretors and the non-secretors. HMO concentrations vary broadly between breastfeeding women. A longitudinal cohort of a larger sample size is required to fully investigate HMO profiles at different lactation stages of New Zealand women and to further explore the influence of maternal and environmental factors on HMO concentration.
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    Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast-Based Supplementation as a Galactagogue in Breastfeeding Women? A Review of Evidence from Animal and Human Studies
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-03) Jia LL; Brough L; Weber JL; Demmelmair H
    Perceived insufficient milk production (PIM) adversely affects breastfeeding duration. Women sometimes use galactagogues with the intent to increase breast milk production and support lactation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast-based supplement (SCYS) is an inactive form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (SCY) either obtained from the fermentation process or grown on molasses. Anecdotal evidence suggests SCYS is a galactagogue. SCYS is promoted on the internet as a galactagogue in various forms and doses. Dietary supplementation with SCYS during gestation and lactation significantly increases milk yield in ruminants. No human study has evaluated efficacy of SCYS as a galactagogue. SCYS is rich in B vitamins, beta-glucan, mannan oligosaccharides and bioavailable chromium; these may impact breast milk production or composition, thus may alleviate PIM. The safety of taking SCYS during lactation is not well studied. Studies have reported contamination of SCYS with ochratoxin A (OTA) as well as minor side effects from SCYS. Studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of SCYS on breast milk production and composition and to assess the safety of taking SCYS during lactation in humans.