Table 2.

Fatty acid profile of mature breast milk (n = 60)

Fatty acids	Mediana ± SDb, %	Range, %
Saturated fatty acids (SFA)
C6:0	0.10 ± 0.05	0.06–0.20
C8:0	0.10 ± 0.05	0.10–0.27
C10:0	1.05 ± 0.25	0.50–1.60
C11:0	0.10 ± 0.05	<  0.10–0.20
C12:0	4.45 ± 1.39	2.20–8.50
C13:0	0.10 ± 0.05	<  0.1–0.20
C14:0	6.55 ± 1.65	3.40–10.50
C15:0	0.40 ± 0.18	0.10–0.90
C16:0	24.05 ± 3.49	13.20–30.60
C17:0	0.30 ± 0.11	0.10–0.50
C18:0	7.70 ± 1.56	3.30–10.50
C20:0	0.10 ± .07	0.10–0.40
C21:0	0.10 ± 0.06	0.10–0.27
C22:0	0.10 ± 0.05	<  0.10–0.10
C23:0	0.10 ± 0.13	0.10–0.79
C24:0	<  0.10 ± 0.01	<  0.10–0.10
Total SFA	46.15 ± 5.64	27.20–55.60
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)
C14:1	0.30 ± 0.12	0.10–0.60
C15:1	0.10 ± 0.05	<  0.10–0.30
C16:1	1.90 ± 0.53	1.10–3.50
C17:1	0.14 ± 0.06	0.10–0.30
C18:1 n - 9, cis	34.50 ± 3.50	26.30–41.40
C18:1 n - 9, trans	<  0.10 ± 0.00	<  0.10
C18:1 n - 11, trans	1.20 ± 0.37	<  0.10–1.80
C20:1	0.40 ± 0.11	0.10–0.80
C22:1	0.10 ± 0.08	<  0.10–0.50
C24:1	0.20 ± 0.06	0.10–0.40
Total MUFA	38.80 ± 3.73	29.20–45.60
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n - 6
C18:2 cis (LA)b	11.50 ± 4.43	6.30–26.50
C18:2 trans	0.20 ± 0.22	<  0.10–1.50
C18:3	0.10 ± 0.02	<  0.10–1.10
C20:2	0.20 ± 0.08	0.20–0.50
C20:3	0.20 ± 0.09	0.10–0.40
C20:4 (ARA)b	0.30 ± 0.10	0.10–0.50
C22:2	0.10 ± 0.05	<  0.10–0.30
Total PUFA, n - 6	12.50 ± 4.50	7.20–27.50
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n - 3
C18:3 (ALA)b	1.00 ± 1.40	0.50–9.60
C20:3	0.10 ± 0.06	<  0.10–0.30
C20:5	0.10 ± 0.05	<  0.10–0.10
C22:6 n (DHA)b	0.30 ± 0.18	0.10–0.90
Total PUFA, n - 3	1.50 ± 1.44	0.90–10.30
Total PUFA	14.10 ± 5.31	8.20–31.70
Ratio
n - 6:n - 3	7.32 ± 4.07	2.08–22.80
LA:ALA	9.92 ± 6.44	2.14–42.60
DHA:LA	0.03 ± 0.02	0.01–0.09
ARA:DHA	1.00 ± 0 .64	0.29–4.00

^adata are expressed as relative proportion of each fatty acid (% of total fatty acids)

^bSD standard deviation, LA linoleic acid, ARA arachidonic acid, ALA α-linolenic acid, DHA docosahexaenoic acid