Xanthophyll esters are found in human colostrum.
José J RíosAna Augusta Odorissi XavierElena Díaz-SalidoIsabel Arenilla-VélezManuel Jarén-GalánJuan Garrido-FernándezJosefa Aguayo-MaldonadoAntonio Pérez-GálvezPublished in: Molecular nutrition & food research (2017)
Xanthophyll esters are significant contributors to the carotenoid profile in the colostrum, while mature milk does not contain these compounds. Therefore, fatty acid acylation to xanthophylls is activated during the accumulation of carotenoids in the human mammary gland. The sharp decline in the amount of xanthophyll esters in mature milk indicates that the lipophilic components are those recently incorporated in the mammary epithelium.