Location: Obesity and Metabolism Research
Project Number: 2032-51530-025-069-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2021
End Date: Jul 15, 2024
Objective:
To develop and apply methods for the efficient, accurate measurement of macro- and micronutrients (e.g., vitamins, minerals), and metabolomics in human milk and blood samples: 1) from ARS studies; 2) from collaborators to compare milk composition in several countries; 3) to complete ARS studies of valid methods for milk collection and sampling.
Approach:
Methods have been developed for the simultaneous analysis of B-vitamins by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and LC-fluorescence detection (LC-FLD), and of fat soluble vitamins by high pressure liquid chromatography with multi-wavelength detector (HPLC-MWL), and trace-elements by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). These methods will be expanded and streamlined to reduce sample preparation and to include additional B-vitamins, choline, metabolomics, and macro-elements and selenium, and will also be applied to plasma or RBC samples as needed. Existing milk samples will be analyzed that have been collected by the Western Human Nutrition Center and collaborators in various countries. The data will be presented at national and international meetings, used to develop global Reference Values for micronutrients in human milk, and serve as a guide to policies that support adequate maternal micronutrient status during lactation.
