Variations in bovine milk oligosaccharides after calving using p-aminobenzoic ethyl ester closed-ring labeling and negative ion electrospray LC/MS/MS

J Food Drug Anal. 2021 Dec 15;29(4):738-750. doi: 10.38212/2224-6614.3386.

Abstract

A strategy was proposed to analyze bovine milk oligosaccharides using p-aminobenzoic ethyl ester (ABEE) closed-ring labeling and C18 capillary liquid chromatography negative ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Linkage specific fragment ions were used to identify oligosaccharide isomers. By constructing the mass chromatograms using linkage specific fragment ions, isomers were differentiated based on m/z values as well as temporal separation provided by liquid chromatography. In addition to disialyllactose and the single isomer lacto-N-neohexaose, four pairs of linkage isomers including 3'/6'-sialyllactose (3'/6'-SL), 3'/6'-sialyllactosamine (3'/6'-SLN), 3'/6'-sialylgalactosyl-lactose (3'/6'-SGL), and lacto-N-tetraose/lacto-N-neotetraose (LNT/LNnT) in bovine milk were investigated. Variations of bovine milk oligosaccharides in a lactation period of 72 h after calving were studied. Sialylated oligosaccharide was found to be distinctively more abundant in milk of the first 24 h, decreasing in successive milkings. For the first time, the variation of lacto-N-tetraose in bovine milk was reported.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Esters / analysis
  • Female
  • Milk* / chemistry
  • Oligosaccharides / analysis
  • Oligosaccharides / chemistry
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry*

Substances

  • Esters
  • Oligosaccharides

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan, R.O.C.