Flavonoids in breast milk and their absorption, metabolism, and bioactivity in infants

Akari Ishisaka; Nao Fujiwara; Rie Mukai; Miyu Nishikawa; Shinichi Ikushiro; Akira Murakami

doi:10.1093/bbb/zbae140

Flavonoids in breast milk and their absorption, metabolism, and bioactivity in infants

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2024 Oct 7:zbae140. doi: 10.1093/bbb/zbae140. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Akari Ishisaka^{1

2}, Nao Fujiwara¹, Rie Mukai³, Miyu Nishikawa⁴, Shinichi Ikushiro⁴, Akira Murakami^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
² Research Institute for Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
³ Department of Food Science, Graduate School of Technology, Industrial and Social Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
⁴ Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, Imizu, Toyama, Japan.

PMID: 39375845
DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbae140

Abstract

Flavonoids are present in plant foods such as vegetables and fruits and exhibit various physiological effects, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Ingested flavonoids are absorbed from the intestinal tract and circulated in the blood. Some studies have indicated the presence of flavonoids in breast milk. However, information on their metabolites and concentrations in breast milk and the subsequent transfer to and physiological functions in infants is limited. Therefore, this review presents a compilation of recent findings on the transfer of flavonoids to infants via breast milk and their bioactivities.

Keywords: breast milk; flavonoid; infant; metabolism.