American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 78, No. 5, 1024-1029, November
2003
© 2003 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

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      ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION

Brain ganglioside and glycoprotein sialic acid in breastfed compared with
formula-fed infants1,2,3
Bing Wang, Patricia McVeagh, Peter Petocz and Jennie Brand-Miller
1 From the Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial
Biosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (BW, PM, and JB-M), and
the School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney,
Australia (PP)


Background: The concentration of sialic acid in brain gangliosides and
glycoproteins has been linked to learning ability in animal studies. Human
milk is a rich source of sialic acid-containing oligosaccharides and is a
potential source of exogenous sialic acid.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the sialic acid concentration
in the brain frontal cortex of breastfed and formula-fed infants.

Design: Twenty-five samples of frontal cortex derived from infants who died
of sudden infant death syndrome were analyzed. Twelve infants were
breastfed, 10 infants were formula-fed, and 1 infant was mixed-fed; the
feeding status of the remaining 2 infants was unknown. Ganglioside-bound and
protein-bound sialic acid were determined by HPLC. Ganglioside ceramide
fatty acids were also analyzed to determine the relation between sialic acid
and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Results: After adjustment for sex with age at death as a covariate,
ganglioside-bound and protein-bound sialic acid concentrations were 32% and
22% higher, respectively, in the frontal cortex gray matter of breastfed
infants than in that of formula-fed infants (P < 0.01). Protein-bound sialic
acid increased with age in both groups (P = 0.02). In breastfed but not in
formula-fed infants, ganglioside-bound sialic acid correlated significantly
with ganglioside ceramide docosahexaenoic acid and total n-3 fatty acids.

Conclusions: Higher brain ganglioside and glycoprotein sialic acid
concentrations in infants fed human milk suggests increased synaptogenesis
and differences in neurodevelopment.


Key Words: Brain cortex • infant feeding • intelligence • long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids • docosahexaenoic acid






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