DETERMINATION OF CHOLESTEROL CONCENTRATION IN HUMAN MILK SAMPLES USING ATTENUATED TOTAL REFLECTANCE FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

摘要

Results of an inexpensive and rapid evaluation of the cholesterol concentration in human milk using ATR-FTIR techniques are presented. The FTIR spectrum of pure cholesterol was characterized and quantitatively estimated in the region between 2800 and 3200 cm~(-1). 125 samples at different stages of lactation were analyzed. There were no differences between the cholesterol concentrations in the samples of early (1-3 months), medium (4-6 months), and late (> 6 months) lactation stages (p = 0.096968). The cholesterol concentration ranged from 4.30 to 21.77 mg/100 cm~3. Such a broad range was due to the differences between the samples from different women (p = 0.000184). The results indicate that ATR-FTIR has potential for rapid estimation of cholesterol concentration in human milk.