Microbiological characterization and analysis of the cytotoxic activity of polyamines in human breast milk

mothers; the secondary aim was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of combinations of human milk polyamine content with probiotic-derived exopolysaccharides (EPS) on healthy and cancerous colon cell lines. A total of 32 lactating women aged 19–30 years, without chronic diseases, participated in the study. Between 0 and 6 months of breastfeeding, participants completed a questionnaire, anthropometric measurements were obtained, dietary intake frequencies were recorded, and human milk samples were collected. Participants were divided into two groups based on BMI: <25 kg/m² and ≥25 kg/ m² Polyamine concentrations in human milk were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In participants with a BMI of ≥25 kg/ m², the median spermidine and spermine concentrations were 500.8 ppm (217.8–2859) and 370.3 ppm (221.5–1595), respectively. In participants with a BMI <25 kg/m², median spermidine and spermine concentrations were 238.3 ppm (204.2–1504.6) and 257.3 ppm (221.3–893.3), respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for spermidine (p<0.01) and spermine (p<0.05). Microbiological analyses indicated more limited probiotic diversity in human milk samples from participants with higher BMI, whereas greater microbial diversity was observed in the lower BMI group. EPS was obtained from a Lactobacillus plantarum strain. Spermidine and spermine showed optimal effects on in vitro cell viability at concentrations of 10 µM and 5 µM, respectively, while EPS exhibited no cytotoxic effects on the cell lines. This study emphasizes the importance of the combined microbiological and cellular evaluation of human milk components and provides a basis for further research in nutritional sciences.