Dietary modulation of human milk bioactives is associated with maternal FUT2 secretor phenotype: an exploratory analysis of carotenoids and polyphenol metabolites

Chelsey Fiecke; Meghan Crimmins; Ahsan Hameed; Clark Sims; D Keith Williams; Lars Bode; Audrey Martinez; Aline Andres; Mario G Ferruzzi

doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1463969

Dietary modulation of human milk bioactives is associated with maternal FUT2 secretor phenotype: an exploratory analysis of carotenoids and polyphenol metabolites

Front Nutr. 2024 Oct 9:11:1463969. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1463969. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center and Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.
² Department of Pediatrics, Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Research Excellence (MOMI CORE), and the Human Milk Institute (HMI), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: Maternal diet modifies profiles of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), carotenoids, and polyphenols in human milk (HM). However, substantial variability in profiles exists between women, highlighting the complexity of non-dietary factors modulating these profiles. The objective of this study was to carry out a secondary analysis exploring the effect of maternal diet on HM carotenoids and polyphenols and relationships between dietary modulation of HM bioactives (carotenoids, polyphenols, and oligosaccharides) and maternal α1,2-fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) secretor phenotype.

Methods: In this pilot study, 16 exclusively breastfeeding women with obesity were enrolled between 4 and 5 months postpartum. The women were provided a 4-week meal plan consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). HM was collected for 24 h at baseline and post-intervention. Maternal FUT2 secretor phenotype was determined by 2'-fucosyllactose concentration in HM (non-secretor: < 100 nmol/ml; secretor: ≥100 nmol/ml). Concentrations of carotenoids and HMOs were determined by LC and polyphenol metabolites by UPLC-MS/MS.

Results: Thirteen women completed the study (6 secretors, 7 non-secretors). The change in HM concentrations of the HMOs lacto-N-tetraose (LNT, p = 0.007), lacto-N-fucopentaose II (LNFP II, p = 0.02), difucosyllacto-N-tetraose (DFLNT, p = 0.003), and disialyllacto-N-tetraose (DSLNT, p = 0.003) and polyphenol metabolites 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA, p = 0.08) and ferulic acid (p = 0.02) over the intervention time frame was differentially associated with maternal secretor status. 4-HBA and ferulic acid positively correlated with HMOs LNT and DSLNT (r_rm = 0.82-0.90, p = 0.03-0.06) for secretors but not for non-secretors. Only secretors demonstrated a negative correlation between 4-HBA and DFLNT (r_rm = -0.94, p = 0.001).

Discussion: The influence of maternal diet on composition of HMOs and polyphenol metabolites in HM differs based on maternal secretor status. Consideration of non-dietary factors is needed to evaluate differences in response of HM bioactives to dietary modulation.

Keywords: Mediterranean meal plan; carotenoids; human milk; human milk oligosaccharides; obesity; polyphenols.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) funded the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center through project plans #6026-51000-010-05S and #6026-51000-012-06S. Arkansas Children’s Research Institute/Arkansas Biosciences Institute provided funding through grant GR037121. The National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases partially supported CS and AA through grant R01DK107516.