Analysis of the Antioxidant Activity in Human Milk, day vs. night
Human milk has many advantages for the development of the breast-fed baby, among vitamins A, C and E, which are essential as an antioxidant defense. In newborn infants, oxidative stress is important due to the immaturity of the antioxidant defense mechanisms and the digestive system. It is well known that the components of breast milk are not constant throughout the 24 hour period. This variation can depend on the mother's diet during this period. The aim of the study was to analyze the antioxidant capacity of the human milk throughout the 24 hour period, and to study the antioxidant changes between day and night period. The levels of Trolox Equivalent were statistically significant (P<0,01), in the milk samples collected at 18:00h and 21:00h compared to the samples collected at 24:00h. We observed an increase in the antioxidant capacity in the samples of the night period compared to the samples of the diurnal period, probably as consequence of the immunological activity of the mother and the amount of vitamins and proteins in the mothers' diet during the day.
