Abstract
Levels and distribution of five B-6 vitamers(PMP, PM, PLP, PL, and PN) and pyridoxine $\beta$-glucoside conjugates(PN-glucoside) were examined in milk of American women who received supplements of 2.5 or 10mg PN HCl/d and of unsupplemented Egyptian women during the first six months of lactation. B-6 vitamer and PN-glucoside levels in human milk were determined by reverse-phase HPLC. Pyridoxal(PL), which has been reported to be the most rapidly absorbed form of vitamin B-6 and may facilitate bioavailability, was the predominant vitamer in human milk of all three groups. Pyridoxal made up 72% of total vitamin B-6 for the 2.5mg supplemented group, 76% for the 10mg group, and 59% for the Egyptian group. Level and Percent PL were significantly lower for Egyptian women. Mean growth of the two American groups was similar to each other and within the normal range of the NCHS reference, however, Egyptian infants showed growth faltering at 6 months. The Percent of PN-glucoside, a less bioavailable form of vitamin B-6 in humans was 1% in milk of American women and was 11% in Egyptian women and these values were significantly different. for Egyptian women, total vitamin B-6 levels in breast milk correlated Positively with animal protein intake(r=0.91) and percent PN-glucosides(r=0.53) and negatively with plant protein intake(r=-0.55). These findings showed that high plant protein intake was associated with low concentrations of PL and total vitamin B-6 in human milk.