Human milk oligosaccharides: only the breast

Area of Science:

• Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)
• Infant nutrition
• Microbiome research

Background:

• Human milk contains a unique, complex mixture of approximately 130 different oligosaccharides, not found in cow's milk.
• These human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) were initially misidentified as a single carbohydrate, gynolactose.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the functions and significance of the diverse oligosaccharide content in human milk.
• To understand the protective roles of HMOs in breastfed infants' health and development.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of human milk composition, focusing on oligosaccharide diversity.
• Investigation of HMOs' interactions with infant gut microbiota and pathogens.
• Review of existing literature on HMO functions.

Main Results:

• HMOs act as soluble fiber, are not digested in the small intestine, and serve as prebiotics for beneficial gut bacteria.
• Specific HMOs function as competitive ligands, protecting infants from pathogens by binding to them.
• HMOs contribute to differences in fecal pH and flora between breastfed and formula-fed infants and provide essential sialic acid for brain development.

Conclusions:

• The rich diversity of HMOs is unique to human milk and plays a critical role in infant health.
• HMOs offer protection against pathogens and support healthy gut microbiome development, potentially serving as models for future therapeutics.
• Sialic acid from HMOs is vital for infant brain development.