Department of Mathematical and Computer Science, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina, 98122, Messina, Italy.
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Anal Bioanal Chem. 2020 Feb;412(6):1335-1342. doi: 10.1007/s00216-019-02359-z. Epub 2020 Jan 3.
The presence of carotenoids in human colostrum has been reported in the literature, and xanthophyll esters in human colostrum were recently detected for the first time. However, no published studies have reported whether apocarotenoids, which are metabolites derived from carotenoid enzymatic or nonenzymatic oxidative cleavage, are present in human colostrum. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to search for the possible occurrence of apocarotenoids, including apocarotenoid esters, in human colostrum for the first time by applying an online supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology. Recent evidence related to apocarotenoid transcriptional activity has suggested that they may have beneficial health properties superior to those of their parent carotenoids. Three different apocarotenoids, namely apo-8'-β-carotenal, apo-8'-lycopenal, and β-citraurin, were identified in intact human colostrum samples, with average concentrations of 85 nmol L, 54.6 nmol L, and 75.4 nmol L, respectively. The overall detection of 16 different free apocarotenoids and 10 different apocarotenoid fatty acid esters in human colostrum was achieved here for the first time. Their occurrence in human colostrum certainly has implications for newborn health status, since colostrum is the only form of food for the newborn during the very first days of life. Graphical abstract.
文献中曾报道过人类初乳中存在类胡萝卜素，最近首次检测到人类初乳中存在叶黄素酯。然而，目前尚无研究报道是否存在类胡萝卜素的代谢产物——脱辅基类胡萝卜素，即类胡萝卜素经酶或非酶氧化裂解产生的代谢产物，存在于人类初乳中。因此，本研究首次应用在线超临界流体萃取-超临界流体色谱-串联质谱法，旨在寻找人类初乳中可能存在的脱辅基类胡萝卜素，包括脱辅基类胡萝卜素酯。最近有关脱辅基类胡萝卜素转录活性的证据表明，它们可能具有比其母体类胡萝卜素更优越的健康特性。在完整的人类初乳样本中鉴定出了 3 种不同的脱辅基类胡萝卜素，分别为 apo-8'-β-胡萝卜醛、apo-8'-番茄红素醛和β-隐黄质，其平均浓度分别为 85 nmol/L、54.6 nmol/L 和 75.4 nmol/L。这是首次在人类初乳中全面检测到 16 种不同的游离脱辅基类胡萝卜素和 10 种脱辅基类胡萝卜素脂肪酸酯。它们在人类初乳中的存在肯定对新生儿的健康状况有影响，因为初乳是新生儿在生命最初几天唯一的食物形式。
