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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #158843
Title: BORON CONCENTRATIONS IN MILK FROM MOTHERS OF FULL-TERM AND PREMATURE INFANTS

Author
item Hunt, Curtiss
item FRIEL, JAMES - UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
item JOHNSON, LUANN - UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2004
Publication Date: 11/1/2004
Citation: Hunt, C., Friel, J.K., Johnson, L.K. 2004. Boron concentrations in milk from mothers of full-term and premature infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 80:1327-33.

Interpretive Summary: Boron is a natural bioactive element that has many of the characteristics of an element required by the human body. Therefore, it is important to establish whether boron is present in human breast milk and whether the body controls the amount of boron in milk. Lactating mothers of premature and full-term infants living in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada agreed to collect breast milk samples once a week for 12 wk. We analyzed the samples for boron and other trace elements known to be essential (copper, iron, selenium, and zinc). We found that boron concentrations were stable in fullterm but not premature milk during the first 12 weeks of lactation. As expected, there was a reduction in the concentrations of copper, iron, selenium, and zinc over time. The stable concentration of boron in milk over time suggests that the element is under control and in a manner similar to that established earlier for calcium and magnesium. In this respect, boron metabolism in milk differs from that of copper, iron, selenium, and zinc, elements whose concentrations decrease over time. Further research is needed to find out how the human body maintains the amount of boron in breast milk.

Technical Abstract: Because boron is a bioactive element that satisfies several of the criteria for essentiality in humans, it is important to establish the profile of boron metabolism in breast milk. Human milk from lactating mothers of premature (PRT, n = 10, < 2000 g birth weight, < 37 wk gestation) and full-term (FT, n = 10, > 2500 g, 39-41 wk gestation) infants living in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada collected breast milk samples once a week for 12 wk. Samples were analyzed for boron, copper, iron, selenium, and zinc by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after wet ash digestion with HNO3 and H2O2 in Teflon tubes. A mixed model ANOVA indicated that boron concentrations were stable in FT but not PRT milk between wk 1 and wk 12 (FT: 30 to 28 ug/kg milk, p = 0.5; PRT: 37 to 27; p = 0.01). As expected, there was a reduction in the concentrations of copper (FT: 651 to 360 ug/kg, p < 0.0001; PRT: 542 to 425, p = 0.05), iron (FT: 355 to 225 ug/kg, p = 0.0003; PRT: 406 to 287, p = 0.002), selenium (FT: 26.9 to 18.6 ug/kg, p <0.0001; PRT: 28.7 to 20.4, p <0.0001), and zinc (FT: 4060 to 1190 ug/kg, p <0.0001; PRT: 5970 to 1270, p <0.0001) over time. The stable concentration of boron in milk over time suggests that the element is under homeostatic control and in a manner similar to that established earlier for calcium and magnesium. In this respect, boron metabolism in milk differs from that of copper, iron, selenium, and zinc, elements whose concentrations decrease over time. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism whereby breast milk conserves boron content.