QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zeisel, S. H. Articles by Sheard, N. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zeisel, S. H. Articles by Sheard, N. F.

Choline, Phosphatidylcholine and Sphingomyelin in Human and Bovine Milk and Infant Formulas¹

Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology, Nutrient Metabolism Laboratory, Boston University School of Medicine, 85 E. Newton Street, Room M1002, Boston, MA 02118

Choline is a precursor for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), sphingomyelin, and choline plasmalogens—all essential constituents of membranes. Choline is also needed to make acetylcholine, a major neurotransmitter. The major choline-containing compounds of human milk (unesterified choline, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin) were measured in samples obtained from mothers of full-term infants. Unesterified choline concentrations were highest (> 600 nmol/ml) during the first week of lactation, but thereafter remained relatively constant at 70–200 nmol/ml. There was no difference among foremilk, middle milk and hind milk, nor was there a diurnal pattern of variation in unesterified choline concentrations. Milk phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin concentrations remained relatively constant throughout lactation (100–200 nmol/ml). Hind milk always contained more of these phospholipids than did foremilk or middle milk. There was no consistent diurnal pattern of variation in milk concentrations of phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin. Milk contained no phospholipase activity capable of forming free choline from phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin. Bovine milk contained approximately the same concentrations of choline, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as did human milk from mothers more than 15 d postpartum. The same was true of "humanized" infant formulas made from cow's milk. Soy protein-based formulas had much more unesterified choline (up to 650 nmol/ml) and much less sphingomyelin than did mature human milk.

KEY WORDS: • choline • phosphatidylcholine • sphingomyelin • milk • infant formula

¹ This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (HD 16727) and a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA 26731) of the National Institutes of Health.

Manuscript received 10 October 1984. Revision accepted 25 September 1985.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. L. F. Graves, A. D. Beaulieu, and J. K. Drackley Factors Affecting the Concentration of Sphingomyelin in Bovine Milk J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2007; 90(2): 706 - 715. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Nilsson and R.-D. Duan Absorption and lipoprotein transport of sphingomyelin J. Lipid Res., January 1, 2006; 47(1): 154 - 171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Wu, F. Liu, A. Nilsson, and R.-D. Duan Pancreatic trypsin cleaves intestinal alkaline sphingomyelinase from mucosa and enhances the sphingomyelinase activity Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, November 1, 2004; 287(5): G967 - G973. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R.-D. Duan, T. Bergman, N. Xu, J. Wu, Y. Cheng, J. Duan, S. Nelander, C. Palmberg, and A. Nilsson Identification of Human Intestinal Alkaline Sphingomyelinase as a Novel Ecto-enzyme Related to the Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase Family J. Biol. Chem., October 3, 2003; 278(40): 38528 - 38536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]