Metabolomic Signature of Human Breast Milk: Molecular Differences Between Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Mothers

Human breast milk is a dynamic biological fluid essential for infant growth, immune regulation, and early metabolic development. Maternal diabetes mellitus can alter its molecular composition, potentially impacting its nutritional value and the infant’s future metabolic health. This study compared the metabolomic profiles of breast milk from healthy versus diabetic women using untargeted metabolomics with GC/MS-QTOF on samples from normoglycemic and type 2 diabetic cohorts. Supervised multivariate statistics and metabolic pathway analysis identified discriminant metabolites and clarified biological relevance. Distinct metabolomic signatures were found: milk from diabetic mothers showed changes in short-chain fatty acids, amino acid derivatives, carbohydrates, and lipid-related molecules, with alterations in pathways such as energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and microbial co-metabolism. These specific changes in the milk metabolome may influence infant metabolic programming and highlight the need for personalized nutritional approaches for mothers with metabolic disorders, supporting metabolomics as a tool to monitor breast milk quality.