Determination of ganglioside concentrations in breast milk and serum from Malaysian mothers using a high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-multiple reaction monitoring method

Gangliosides, found in blood, tissues and in human breast milk, are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids with implicated bioactivities in neural and brain development, maturation of the gastrointestinal tract, and the immune system. In a cross-sectional study, high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure the average total ganglioside concentrations in Malaysian mothers' colostrum and transitional milk; results were 26.8 and 18.9 mg L−1, respectively. In mature milk, the average ganglioside concentrations at 2, 6, and 12 months lactation were 14.8, 25.3, and 16.6 mg L−1, respectively. Considering the data from the typical exclusive breast feeding period (2 and 6 months) and adjusting for outliers, the trimmed mean was 18.5 mg L−1. The average total ganglioside concentrations in maternal serum increased from 14.7 mg L−1 during the second trimester to 19.6 mg L−1 during the third trimester. However, in 45% of the mothers total serum ganglioside decreased in the third trimester.