Breast milk composition

Question 1

the majority of fat in milk is in what form?

Answer 1

TAG

Question 2

What is the minor portion of fat made of?

Answer 2

DAG
MAG
cholesterol, cholesterol esters
FFA
phospholipids

Question 3

How are milk lipids present? What form?

Answer 3

within membrane-enclosed fat globules
core=TAG
Membranes: phospholipids, cholesterol and proteins

Question 4

What is the main source of energy in milk? Why?

Answer 4

TAG (fat)
low metabolic cost, only 1% is invested in order to store it
25% for carbs
also, using only carbs for energy –> can’t have essential fatty acids

Question 5

What does the location of fat synthesis depend on?

Answer 5

Chain length

Question 6

Where are fatty acids shorter than 16C synthesized?

Answer 6

alveolar cells (made from glucose

Question 7

Where do FA larger than 18C come from?

Answer 7

adipose tissue and diet

Question 8

How do we stimulate the synthesis of lipids in the breast milk?

Answer 8

increase prolactin secretion (just before and during lactation) is gonna increase the activity of lipoprotein lipase in the mammary gland. This hydrolyses triglycerides and helps promote the uptake of FFA and chylomicron remnants.
also is gonna decrease lipoprotein lipase activity in maternal adipse tissue so that the adipose tissue takes up less FFA

Question 9

What is the difference between human milk fat and bovine milk fat.

Answer 9

higher proportion of palmitate at 2-position