Current Practice in Untargeted Human Milk Metabolomics

Abstract

Human milk (HM) is considered the gold standard for infant nutrition. HM contains macro- and micronutrients, as well as a range of bioactive compounds (hormones, growth factors, cell debris, etc.). The analysis of the complex and dynamic composition of HM has been a permanent challenge for researchers. The use of novel, cutting-edge techniques involving different metabolomics platforms has permitted to expand knowledge on the variable composition of HM. This review aims to present the state-of-the-art in untargeted metabolomic studies of HM, with emphasis on sampling, extraction and analysis steps. Workflows available from the literature have been critically revised and compared, including a comprehensive assessment of the achievable metabolome coverage. Based on the scientific evidence available, recommendations for future untargeted HM metabolomics studies are included.

Keywords

• human milk
• metabolome
• sampling
• extraction
• liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (lc-ms)
• nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr)
• gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (gc-ms)
• capillary electrophoresis—mass spectrometry (ce-ms)