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Human milk oligosaccharides are minimally digested in vitro.
M J Gnoth1, C Kunz, E Kinne-Saffran
1Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Dortmund, Germany. Institute of Nutrition, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
The Journal of Nutrition
|December 9, 2000
Summary
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) are largely indigestible by infant digestive enzymes. This suggests HMO may function as prebiotics, supporting infant gut health and immunity.
Area of Science:
- Human nutrition
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) are complex carbohydrates found in breast milk.
- Their precise role and fate within the infant gastrointestinal tract remain largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the digestibility of human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) in the infant gastrointestinal tract.
- To determine if HMO are degraded by digestive enzymes or low pH conditions.
Main Methods:
- HMO were isolated from human milk and separated into neutral and acidic fractions.
- Digestibility was assessed using human salivary amylase, porcine pancreatic amylase, and porcine small intestine brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV).
- Digestion products were analyzed using high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and TLC.
Main Results:
- Neither salivary nor pancreatic amylase significantly cleaved HMO.
- Minor modifications of HMO were observed after 2-hour incubation with BBMV, yielding lacto-N:-triose and galactose.
- Oligosaccharides lacking fucosyl or N-acetylneuraminic acid residues produced only lacto-N:-triose.
Conclusions:
- Less than 5% of HMO appear to be digested in the infant intestinal tract.
- Undigested HMO likely function as prebiotics, promoting beneficial gut bacteria.
- HMO may also play a role in modulating the infant's intestinal immune system.