Abstract: Twenty two human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in 163 milk samples collected from 22 Chinese mothers during different stages of lactation were measured by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC). Levels of 15 neutral HMOs were highest at the early stages of lactation (in colostrum) and decreased later (in mature milk), but?3-fucosyllactose level continuously increased throughout the sampling period. Levels of six sialylated HMOs decreased during the course of lactation, and LSTa was detected only in some samples. Based on the Lewis blood types, the?volunteers were divided into secretor mother group and non-secretor mother group. Milk samples from secretor mothers were rich in α-1-2-linked fucosylated oligosaccharides (such as 2’-FL, LNFP Ⅰ, LDFT, and LNDFH Ⅰ). Specifically, the concentrations of the α-1-2-linked fucosylated oligosaccharides ranged from 1 211 to 7 272 mg/L in milk from secretor mothers and from 100 to 920 mg/L in milk from non-secretor mothers. In contrast, the contents of α-1-3/4-linked fucosylated oligosaccharides (such as LNDFH Ⅱ, DFLNH, 3-FL, and LNFP Ⅱ) was 476–4 931 mg/L in milk from non-secretor mothers, compared to 181–2 722 mg/L for milk from secretor mothers. Generally, this study showed that the composition and contents of HMOs in milk from secretor and non-secretor mothers varied continuously and were different significantly during the lactation period.

Key words: high-performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC), human milk oligosaccharides, secretor type milk, non-secretor type milk