Human Milk Oligosaccharides as Potential Antibiofilm Agents: A Review

Abstract

Surface-associated bacterial communities called biofilms are ubiquitous in nature. Biofilms are detrimental in medical settings due to their high tolerance to antibiotics and may alter the final pathophysiological outcome of many healthcare-related infections. Several innovative prophylactic and therapeutic strategies targeting specific mechanisms and/or pathways have been discovered and exploited in the clinic. One such emerging and original approach to dealing with biofilms is the use of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which are the third most abundant solid component in human milk after lactose and lipids. HMOs are safe to consume (GRAS status) and act as prebiotics by inducing the growth and colonization of gut microbiota, in addition to strengthening the intestinal epithelial barrier, thereby protecting from pathogens. Moreover, HMOs can disrupt biofilm formation and inhibit the growth of specific microbes. In the present review, we summarize the potential of HMOs as antibacterial and antibiofilm agents and, hence, propose further investigations on using HMOs for new-age therapeutic interventions.

Prebiotics in New-Born and Children’s Health

“…Studies have demonstrated that prebiotic HMOs offer stereospecific protection against a broad range of pathogens. This protection extends to pathogens associated with diarrheal, respiratory, and urinary infections, as well as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [64,65]. Prebiotic HMOs have chemical structures that are similar to glycans, which are used by harmful bacteria to bind to the surface of epithelial cells.…”

“…Prebiotic HMOs have chemical structures that are similar to glycans, which are used by harmful bacteria to bind to the surface of epithelial cells. Pathogens and toxins that identify and link to HMOs instead of cell-surface glycans will therefore pass through the digestive system without causing infection [65,66].…”

“…The anti-adhesive abilities of prebiotic HMOs are dependent on the oligosaccharide charge, and molecular weight, against specific pathogens [60,62,65]. Higher molecular weight prebiotics have been shown to inhibit adhesion of E. coli and Vibrio cholerae, but not Salmonella fyris in the infant gut.…”

“…Biofilm production can alter intestinal colonization, infection risk, and antibiotic resistance in infants. Prebiotic HMOs are also evaluated for antibiofilm formation [59,65]. A recent study has demonstrated that the production of biofilms in multiand pan-drug-resistant A. baumanii was significantly decreased in the presence of prebiotic HMOs.…”

Gut Microbial Sialidases and Their Role in the Metabolism of Human Milk Sialylated Glycans

“…The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) possesses a glycan-rich environment. Many lines of evidence indicate that enteropathogens start their infection by binding to specific oligosaccharides present on glycoconjugates on the target cell surfaces [ 11 ]. In vitro studies have shown that HMOs prevent the binding and infection of cells by several viral and bacterial pathogens [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”