Human milk oligosaccharide consumption by intestinal microbiota

Abstract

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) constitute the third most abundant class of molecules in breast milk. Since infants lack the enzymes required for milk glycan digestion, this group of carbohydrates passes undigested to the lower part of the intestinal tract, where they can be consumed by specific members of the infant gut microbiota. We review proposed mechanisms for the depletion and metabolism of HMO by two major bacterial genera within the infant intestinal microbiota, Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides

Absolute Quantitation of Human Milk Oligosaccharides Reveals Phenotypic Variations during Lactation

“…HMOs are known to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria (4)(5)(6). Strains of bifidobacteria exhibit unique consumption patterns that favor specific groups of HMOs over others (7).…”

Comparison of the Compositions of the Stool Microbiotas of Infants Fed Goat Milk Formula, Cow Milk-Based Formula, or Breast Milk

“…Compared to cow milk, goat milk contains much lower concentrations of alpha-s1 casein and higher concentrations of nucleotides and polyamines as well as some of the essential amino acids. Breast milk differs from ruminant milks in that sialylated and fucosylated oligosaccharides (human milk oligosaccharides [HMO]) are the third largest component (5). The HMO are utilized for growth by bifidobacteria, and their presence in breast milk is the likely explanation as to why there is generally a greater abundance of these bacteria in the feces of breast milk-fed babies (6).…”

Human milk oligosaccharides: the novel modulator of intestinal microbiota

“…Besides the development of the immune system or the prevention of pathogenic infection, it has been witnessed that HMO has a function that drives the intestinal microbiota toward bifidogenic population (30,68,69 strong evidence suggests the catabolic capability of HMO plays a key role in modulating the bacterial population (30,43,44,(70)(71)(72). Two of infant associated Bifidus, Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium bifidum, are able to grow on HMO as a sole carbon source (73,74).…”

“…Since major β-galactosidase and hexosaminidase are exo-type glycosyl hydrolase, the activity of fucosidase and sialidase could be the key step for the utilization of HMO. Indeed, the expression of fucosidase, sialidase, and hexosaminidase are observed from Bacteroides fragelis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, B. infantis and, B. bifidum when they grow on HMO (72)(73)(74)94). Further, it has been revealed that the genes encode fucosidase and sialidase were not found from Bifidobacterium strains that did not grow on HMO such as B. breve, B. adolesacntis, B. animals, and B. dentinum (69).…”