<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Women who have problems with lactation can use human milk banks. Mainly this human milk is provided to premature babies and sick newborns. Human milk is the most suitable food for newborns and infants, recommended by WHO (World Health Organization). Human milk has anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and anti-allergic properties, and also works for immunomodulation. Melatonin has a special, underestimated importance in the composition of breast milk. It is a hormone that has many body functions and, for several decades, its antioxidant potential has been increasingly talked about.</p>
<p>The aim of the study was to examine the effect of Holder pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human milk.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Materials and Methods</h3>
<p>18 samples of human milk from donors from the human milk bank were used for the analysis. Melatonin concentration before and after pasteurization was determined by ELISA. In addition, the nutritional content composition of milk was analyzed using MIRIS Human Milk Analyzer and correlations examined.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Results</h3>
<p>Melatonin concentration in human milk before pasteurization was 0.65–26.24 pg/mL (Me=9.58, IQR=12.72), while after pasteurization 0.80–29.58 pg/mL (Me=9.98, IQR=11.26). There was a positive correlation between melatonin concentration before and after pasteurization (r=0.797, p&lt;0.001).</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>The Holder pasteurization process does not affect the concentration of melatonin in milk samples, which may be a recommendation for human milk banks.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Women who have problems with lactation can use human milk banks. Mainly this human milk is provided to premature babies and sick newborns. Human milk is the most suitable food for newborns and infants, recommended by WHO (World Health Organization). Human milk has anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and anti-allergic properties, and also works for immunomodulation. Melatonin has a special, underestimated importance in the composition of breast milk. It is a hormone that has many body functions and, for several decades, its antioxidant potential has been increasingly talked about.
The aim of the study was to examine the effect of Holder pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human milk.

Materials and Methods
18 samples of human milk from donors from the human milk bank were used for the analysis. Melatonin concentration before and after pasteurization was determined by ELISA. In addition, the nutritional content composition of milk was analyzed using MIRIS Human Milk Analyzer and correlations examined.

Results
Melatonin concentration in human milk before pasteurization was 0.65–26.24 pg/mL (Me=9.58, IQR=12.72), while after pasteurization 0.80–29.58 pg/mL (Me=9.98, IQR=11.26). There was a positive correlation between melatonin concentration before and after pasteurization (r=0.797, p<0.001).

Conclusions
The Holder pasteurization process does not affect the concentration of melatonin in milk samples, which may be a recommendation for human milk banks.

Effect of pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human breast milk

Department of Pathobiochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz

Department of Toxicology and Bromatology, Faculty of Pharmacy, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, L. Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz

Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences

Department of Physiology and Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences

Postępy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Effect of pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human breast milk"}

Introduction
Women who have problems with lactation can use human milk banks. Mainly this human milk is provided to premature babies and sick newborns. Human...

Variable	Median	Min	Max	Interquartile range (IQR)
Age [year]	29.00	24.00	37.00	7.00
Lactation period [week]	12.00	3.00	40.00	14.00
Gestational age [week]	36.5	27.00	41.00	8.00
Melatonin pre-pasteurization [pg/mL]	9.58	0.65	26.24	12.72
Melatonin post-pasteurization [pg/mL]	9.98	0.80	29.58	11.26
Fat [g/100 mL]	2.95	1.70	3.80	0.60
Total protein [g/100 mL]	1.40	1.20	1.90	0.25
Carbohydrate [g/100 mL]	7.70	6.70	7.90	0.25
Dry matter [g/100 mL]	12.30	11.00	13.10	0.90
Energy value [kcal/100 mL]	65.50	54.00	72.00	6.00

	Age [year]	Gestational age [week]	Lactation period [week]	Melatonin pre-pasteurization [pg/mL]	Melatonin post-pasteurization [pg/mL]	Fat [g/100 mL]	Total protein [g/100 mL]	Carbohydrate [g/100 mL]	Dry matter [g/100 mL]	Energy value [kcal/100 mL]
Age [year]	1	0.329	0.276	0.068	−0.102	0.113	−0.052	−0.044	0.144	0.092
Lactation period [week]	0.276	0.687^*	1	−0.263	−0.255	−0.175	−0.589^*	0.013	−0.062	0.071
Melatonin pre-pasteurization [pg/mL]	0.068	−0.290	−0.263	1	0.797^*	−0.043	0.099	0.237	0.075	−0.104
Melatonin post-pasteurization [pg/mL]	−0.102	−0.248	−0.255	0.797^*	1	−0.128	0.300	−0.019	0.028	−0.127
Fat [g/100 mL]	0.113	0.173	−0.175	−0.043	−0.128	1	0.215	−0.153	0.789^*	0.946^*
Total protein [g/100 mL]	−0.052	−0.215	−0.589^*	0.099	0.300	0.215	1	−0.121	0.482^*	0.459^*
Carbohydrate [g/100 mL]	−0.044	0.156	0.013	0.237	−0.019	−0.153	−0.121	1	0.211	−0.144
Dry matter [g/100 mL]	0.144	0.157	−0.062	0.075	0.028	0.789^*	0.482^*	0.211	1	0.871^*
Energy value [kcal/100 mL]	0.092	0.178	0.071	−0.104	−0.127	0.946^*	0.459^*	−0.144	0.871^*	1

Effect of pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human breast milk

Article Category: Original Study

Published Online: Jun 22, 2022

Page range: 220 - 227

Received: Jul 17, 2021

Accepted: Nov 07, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ahem-2022-0022

Keywords
melatonin, Holder pasteurization, human milk, donor milk, human milk bank, lactation, newborn

© 2022 Agnieszka Chrustek et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Characteristics of tested milk samples with basic composition

Correlations of the tested parameters according to Spearman's rank order

Effect of pasteurization on melatonin concentration in human breast milk

Article Category: Original Study

Published Online: Jun 22, 2022

Page range: 220 - 227

Received: Jul 17, 2021

Accepted: Nov 07, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ahem-2022-0022

Keywordsmelatonin, Holder pasteurization, human milk, donor milk, human milk bank, lactation, newborn

© 2022 Agnieszka Chrustek et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Characteristics of tested milk samples with basic composition

Correlations of the tested parameters according to Spearman's rank order

Keywords
melatonin, Holder pasteurization, human milk, donor milk, human milk bank, lactation, newborn