Polyamines in Human Milk and Their Benefits for Infant Health

Breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant nutrition in the first six months of life when feeding choices determine growth and development. However, human milk is a complex and highly variable fluid that, in addition to nutrients, contains several bioactive components, including polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine), and constitutes the first exogenous source of these compounds for infants. Active in various cellular processes, polyamines are involved in the growth and maturation of the gastrointestinal tract and the development of the immune system and therefore play an important role in the first year of life. This chapter reviews the impact of polyamines on infant growth and health, the polyamine content in human milk and how it is influenced by factors related to both the mother-child dyad and breastfeeding itself. In addition, a comparative analysis of human milk and infant formulas in terms of polyamine content and profile is presented

Differences in Polyamine Content between Human Milk and Infant Formulas

Human milk is the gold standard for nutrition during the first months of life, but when breastfeeding is not possible, it may be replaced by infant formulas, either partially or totally. Polyamines, which play an important role in intestinal maturation and the development of the immune system, are found both in human milk and infant formulas, the first exogenous source of these compounds for the newborn. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and evolution of polyamines in human milk during the first semester of lactation and to compare the polyamine content with that of infant formulas. In total, 30 samples of human milk provided by six mothers during the first five months of lactation as well as 15 different types of infant formulas were analyzed using UHPLC-FL. Polyamines were detected in all human milk samples but with great variation among mothers. Spermidine and spermine levels tended to decrease during the lactation period, while putrescine remained practically unchanged. Considerable differences were observed in the polyamine contents and profiles between human milk and infant formulas, with concentrations being up to 30 times lower in the latter. The predominant polyamines in human milk were spermidine and spermine, and putrescine in infant formulas