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Nutrition 29 (2013) 431–435

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Nutrition
journal homepage: www.nutritionjrnl.com

Applied nutritional investigation

Differences in direct pharmacologic effects and antioxidative properties of mature breast milk and infant formulas
Nikoleta Lugonja M.Sc. a, Sneana D. Spasi Ph.D. a, *, Olga Laugier Ph.D. a, Aleksandra Nikoli-Koki Ph.D. b, z cc c sc sc c Ivan Spasojevi Ph.D. c, Zorana Oreanin-Dui Ph.D. b, Miroslav M. Vrvi Prof. d c
a

Department of Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Technology, and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia Department of Physiology, Institute for Biological Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade,Serbia d Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
b c

a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history: Received 19 January 2012 Accepted 17 July 2012 Keywords: Breast milk Infant formula Electron paramagnetic resonance Superoxide dismutase Glutathione peroxidase Sulfhydryl group

a b s t r a c t
Objective: Early-onset and exclusive breast-feeding provides a significant healthbenefit to infants compared with infant formulas. The aim of this study was to compare mature breast milk with standard infant formulas by examining their effects on non-vascular smooth muscle contraction and their antioxidative properties. Methods: The pharmacologic effects of breast milk and formulas were examined using a model system of the rat uterine smooth muscle contraction. Electronparamagnetic resonance spintrapping spectroscopy was used to compare the antioxidative capacities of breast milk (obtained in the ninth week of lactation) with commercial infant formulas against hydroxyl radical production in the Fenton reaction. The activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and the sulfhydryl group were determined in the breast milk and infant formulas. Results: Incontrast to the infant formulas, breast milk exerted a relaxing effect on isolated nonvascular smooth muscle. In general, breast milk showed higher antioxidative activity compared with the infant formulas. In all samples, the generation of hydroxyl radicals led to the formation of carbon-centered and ascorbyl radicals. Conclusions: Human milk exerts direct pharmacologic relaxation effects and providesbetter antioxidant protection compared with infant formulas because of the presence of specific enzymatic components, such as human superoxide dismutase. We propose that these effects should be advantageous to an infant’s gastrointestinal tract by supporting the normal work of the smooth musculature and maintaining redox homeostasis and may represent one of the mechanisms by which breast-feedingbenefits health. Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction The positive correlation between breast-feeding and the decrease of certain health risks is well established. The general recommendation is to breast-feed newborns for 6 mo exclusively and then to introduce complementary foods and continue breast-feeding [1]. No evidence has supported any disagreement with this recommendationof the international health authorities [2,3]. Breast-feeding is associated with a decrease in the risk for acute otitis media, non-specific gastroenteritis, severe lower

This work was supported by grants 43004 and 173014 from the Ministry of Education Science of the Republic of Serbia. * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ381-11-263-7273; fax: þ381-276-1433. E-mail address: svujin@chem.bg.ac.rs (S. D.Spasi). c 0899-9007/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2012.07.018

respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, asthma (in toddlers), obesity, type 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome, and necrotizing enterocolitis. There is no correlation between breast-feeding and cognitive performance in term...