Objective: In this pilot study, we report the composition, structure and properties of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) present in milk samples of various countries and ethnicities.Methods: Fifty samples of human milk were analyzed, 10 from east Europe, 10 from North Africa, 10 from Central Africa, 10 from South America and 10 from Asia. Moreover, 30 samples were obtained during the first week and 20 between 8 to 30 days of life.Results: Overall, no significant differences were observed for the qualitative composition of GAGs, mainly chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate and hyaluronic acid, comparing the mothers from the various countries and between the 30 milks obtained during the first week and the 20 samples collected thereafter. Moreover, no significant differences in human milk GAGs within the different groups analyzed belonging to various counties and ethnicities were observed.Conclusions: These results may be of useful, as in the case of pilot studies with infant formulas enriched with chondroitin sulfate (CS) and/or heparan sulfate (HS) necessary to verify their possible positive effects on newborns feeding in countries at high risk of infection and/or infestation.
Keywords: Chondroitin sulfate; glycosaminoglycans; heparan sulfate; human milk; hyaluronic acid.