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Table 2 Fatty acid compositions of triacylglycerol-rich lipids in human milk

From: Interactions between cortisol and lipids in human milk

Fatty acid

Relative mass proportions in triacylglycerol-rich lipids

Quantities as triacylglycerols (mg/mL)

Low cortisol (<  3 nmol/L)

High cortisol (>  10 nmol/L)

p-value

Low cortisol (<  3 nmol/L)

High cortisol (>  10 nmol/L)

p-value

Mean

STDEV

Mean

STDEV

Mean

STDEV

Mean

STDEV

Lauric 12:0

3.29

1.22

4.28

1.50

0.001a,b

1.07

0.61

1.53

0.89

0.005b,c

Myristic 14:0

5.37

1.36

6.09

1.53

0.02a,b

1.70

0.82

2.12

0.96

0.02b,c

Myristoleic 14:1n − 5

0.28

0.08

0.26

0.08

0.25a

0.09

0.05

0.09

0.04

0.86c

Palmitic 16:0

23.10

2.55

22.28

2.35

0.03c

7.26

2.98

7.74

2.90

0.41c

Palmitoleic 16:1n − 7

2.77

0.68

2.59

0.78

0.11c

0.89

0.45

0.91

0.46

0.82c

Stearic 18:0

7.16

1.57

6.93

1.48

0.88c

2.22

0.93

2.39

0.98

0.53c

Oleic 18:1n − 9

39.20

3.32

38.92

3.28

0.71c

12.35

4.83

13.74

5.95

0.51c

Vaccenic 18:1n − 7

1.99

0.25

1.99

0.24

0.70c

0.64

0.27

0.70

0.30

0.49c

Linoleic 18:2n − 6

10.62

1.99

10.46

2.10

0.52c

3.32

1.32

3.73

1.86

0.59c

Linolenic 18:3n − 3

1.73

0.56

1.84

0.57

0.48c

0.54

0.26

0.65

0.36

0.18c

Arachidic 20:0

0.19

0.06

0.19

0.04

0.20c

0.06

0.03

0.07

0.02

0.14c

Gondoic 20:1n − 9

0.46

0.11

0.50

0.11

0.01c

0.14

0.07

0.18

0.09

0.07c

Eicosadienoic 20:2n − 6

0.25

0.04

0.25

0.05

0.68a

0.08

0.03

0.09

0.04

0.30c

Dihomogammalinolenic 20:3n − 6

0.33

0.07

0.30

0.08

0.14c

0.10

0.04

0.11

0.06

0.95c

Arachidonic 20:4n − 6

0.39

0.09

0.38

0.13

0.17c

0.12

0.06

0.14

0.12

0.98c

Eicosatrienoic 20:3n − 3

0.04

0.04

0.06

0.04

0.05c

0.02

0.01

0.02

0.02

0.13c

Eicosapentaenoic 20:5n − 3

0.12

0.08

0.12

0.08

0.26c

0.04

0.02

0.04

0.04

0.65c

Behenic 22:0

0.03

0.03

0.04

0.03

0.44c

0.01

0.01

0.01

0.01

0.44c

Docosenoic 22:1n − 9

0.07

0.04

0.10

0.03

0.008c

0.02

0.02

0.03

0.02

0.03c

Nervonic 24:1n − 9

0.37

0.19

0.35

0.24

0.27c

0.11

0.07

0.13

0.14

0.80c

Docosahexaenoic 22:6n − 3

0.01

0.08

0.02

0.05

0.16c

0.00

0.02

0.01

0.02

0.16c

Other fatty acids

2.23

0.37

2.05

0.45

0.04a

0.71

0.32

0.71

0.27

0.91c

SAFA

39.14

5.05

39.80

4.18

0.57c

12.32

5.12

13.87

5.21

0.22c

MUFA

44.77

3.46

44.36

3.31

0.55a

14.14

5.57

15.65

6.67

0.49c

PUFA

13.50

2.47

13.43

2.67

0.65c

4.23

1.67

4.79

2.41

0.50c

Omega-3 FAs

1.91

0.59

2.03

0.62

0.50c

0.60

0.29

0.72

0.41

0.18c

Omega-6 FAs

11.59

2.06

11.40

2.19

0.41c

3.63

1.42

4.07

2.03

0.61c

      

Triacylglycerols (mg/mL)

      

31.52

12.13

35.15

13.85

0.39c

  1. Data is presented as relative proportions (%) and quantities (mg/mL) and grouped based on milk cortisol levels. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between low and high milk cortisol groups are highlighted with bold type. Abbreviations: STDEV standard deviation, SAFA saturated fatty acids, MUFA monounsaturated fatty acids, PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acids
  2. a Significant difference between the low and high cortisol groups, T-test (df = 98)
  3. b Milk cortisol (as continuous variable) remained a statistically significant predictor after controlling for pre-pregnancy BMI and sampling time in linear regression analysis, see Additional file 1
  4. c Significant difference between the low and high cortisol groups, Mann–Whitney U test