Polyamines in human and cow’s milk1

ABSTRACT Putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and spermine have been detected as regular minor constituents of human and cow’s milk. These polyamines have been identified in form of their dansyl derivatives by combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The spermine and spermidine content varies with the methionine intake. At the 6th week of lactation, the spermidine and spermine concentration of human milk are 5 and 20 times, respectively, that of cow’s milk. There is a strict correlation between the DNA, RNA, and the spermine, spermidine concentration in both human and cow’s milk during early lactation. Am. J. (‘lin. Nutr. 27: 859-865, 1974. The polyamines represent a group of ali-phatic nonprotein nitrogenous bases. Putres-cine, cadaverine, spermidine, and spermine are naturally occurring polyamines (Fig. 1). They occur in animal tissues, bacteria, viruses, and plants (1). High concentrations of spermidine and spermine have been found in tissues whic