The compound pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) was first identified as a potential animal and human growth factor in 1989 by a team of UC Davis researchers. In particular, PQQ appears to play a vital role in the growth and development of newborns. "Laboratory studies with mice indicate that PQQ improves reproductive performance and stimulates neonatal growth," says Professor Robert Rucker, a nutritionist and biological chemist who led the PQQ research group. Rucker found that mice fed a PQQ-deficient diet have significantly smaller litters and the survival rate of those pups is only half that of the mice receiving a PQQ-supplemented diet. "The presence of a significant quantity of PQQ in human milk may be even further evidence of the physiological importance of the compound," Rucker says. "For example, the concentration of PQQ in human milk is equal to that of many of the B vitamins." Rucker has previously shown PQQ to be important in the development of connective tissues. He will present his findings during a morning poster session Tuesday, April 26.