Fatty acid composition of wild anthropoid primate milks

Lauren A. Milligan, Stanley I. Rapoport, Michael R. Cranfield, Wolfgang Dittus, Kenneth E. Glander, Olav T. Oftedal, Michael L. Power, Christopher A. Whittier, Richard P. Bazinet

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fatty acids in milk reflect the interplay between species-specific physiological mechanisms and maternal diet. Anthropoid primates (apes, Old and New World monkeys) vary in patterns of growth and development and dietary strategies. Milk fatty acid profiles also are predicted to vary widely. This study investigates milk fatty acid composition of five wild anthropoids (Alouatta palliata, Callithrix jacchus, Gorilla beringei beringei, Leontopithecus rosalia, Macaca sinica) to test the null hypothesis of a generalized anthropoid milk fatty acid composition. Milk from New and Old World monkeys had significantly more 8:0 and 10:0 than milk from apes. The leaf eating species G. b. beringei and A. paliatta had a significantly higher proportion of milk 18:3n-3, a fatty acid found primarily in plant lipids. Mean percent composition of 22:6n-3 was significantly different among monkeys and apes, but was similar to the lowest reported values for human milk. Mountain gorillas were unique among anthropoids in the high proportion of milk 20:4n-6. This seems to be unrelated to requirements of a larger brain and may instead reflect species-specific metabolic processes or an unknown source of this fatty acid in the mountain gorilla diet.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)74-82
Number of pages9
JournalComparative Biochemistry and Physiology - B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Volume149
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Anthropoid
  • Fatty acid
  • Milk composition
  • Primate

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology
  • Aquatic Science
  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Molecular Biology

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