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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Analysis of Fucosylated Human Milk Trisaccharides in Biotechnological Context Using Genetically Encoded Biosensors
Published on: April 13, 2019
Determining the metabolic fate of human milk oligosaccharides: it may just be more complex than you think?
Peter Philip James Jackson1, Anisha Wijeyesekera1, Robert Adrian Rastall1
1Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Abstract:
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a class of structurally diverse and complex unconjugated glycans present in breast milk, which act as selective substrates for several genera of select microbes and inhibit the colonisation of pathogenic bacteria. Yet, not all infants are breastfed, instead being fed with formula milks which may or may not contain HMOs. Currently, formula milks only possess two HMOs: 2'-fucosyllactose (2'FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), which have been suggested to be similarly effective as human breast milk in supporting age-related growth. However, the in vivo evidence regarding their ability to beneficially reduce respiratory infections along with altering the composition of an infant's microbiota is limited at best. Thus, this review will explore the concept of HMOs and their metabolic fate, and summarise previous in vitro and in vivo clinical data regarding HMOs, with specific regard to 2'FL and LNnT.
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