Influence of 2′-Fucosyllactose on the Microbiota Composition and Metabolic Activity of Fecal Cultures from Breastfed and Formula-Fed Infants at Two Months of Age

Abstract

Although breast milk is considered the gold standard of nutrition for infant feeding, some circumstances may make breastfeeding difficult. Several commercial milk preparations include synthetic human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in their composition. However, the effect of HMOs on the establishment of the intestinal microbiota remains incompletely understood. Independent batch fermentations were performed with feces from six full-term infant donors of two months of age (three breastfed and three formula-fed, exclusively) in the presence of 2′fucosyllactose (2′FL), one of the most abundant HMOs in human milk. Microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing at baseline and at 24 h of incubation. The 2′FL consumption, gas accumulation, and levels of different metabolites were determined by chromatography. Microbiota profiles at baseline were clearly influenced by the mode of feeding and by the intrinsic ability of microbiotas to degrade 2′FL. The 2′FL degradation rate clustered fecal cultures into slow and fast degraders, regardless of feeding type, this being a determinant factor influencing the evolution of the microbiota during incubation, although the low number of donors precludes drawing sound conclusions. More studies are needed to decipher the extent to which the early intervention with HMOs could influence the microbiota as a function of its ability to utilize 2′FL.

In Vitro Probiotic Modulation of the Intestinal Microbiota and 2′Fucosyllactose Consumption in Fecal Cultures from Infants at Two Months of Age

“…HMO consumption and the ability of the infant's microbiota to metabolize these oligosaccharides have been strongly correlated with fecal microbiota composition in early life [5,6]. In this way, we have recently shown that the feeding mode (breast vs. formula) and the intrinsic ability of the microbiota of two-month-old infants to degrade 2 FL are determinant factors influencing the evolution of microbiota composition and metabolic activity in fecal cultures [7].…”

“…Three commercial preparations of 2 FL were used and prepared as indicated elsewhere [7]. One of the preparations was from DuPont Nutrition and Health (2 FL-A), with a 93% purity in 2 FL; Aequival ® was from Friesland Campina Ingredients (Paramus, NJ, USA; 2 FL-B) and displayed 87.1% purity, whereas the third preparation was from Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH (Rheinbreitbach, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; 2 FL-C) and had 87.8% purity in 2 FL.…”

“…Three newborns were exclusively fed with breastmilk (BF) of their mothers and the other three received formula milk (FF) exclusively. Fecal samples from two of the BF infants were 2 FL fast degraders in fecal cultures and the other was a slow degrader, whereas, conversely, two fecal samples from FF donors were 2 FL slow degraders and one was a fast degrader [7]. Infants were recruited at the Neonatology Unit of Pediatric Service at the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA, Northern Spain).…”

“…Independent pH-uncontrolled fecal batch fermentations from the different infant donors were performed in the BMIF basal medium with added 5% (v/v) reconstituted formula milk (Novalac Initiation Formula 0-6 months, Paris, France) following manufacturer's instructions, as described previously [7,22]. Culture conditions included 10 different combinations: each of the strains L. helveticus R0052, B. longum subsp.…”

“…In a previous work, we studied the influence of 2 FL on fecal microbiota composition and metabolic activity by using in vitro fecal cultures of full-term vaginally delivered infants of two months of age fed exclusively breastmilk or formula [7]. The aim of the present study is to go a step forward by assessing the use of 2 FL together with the multistrain probiotic formulation indicated above or their constituent strains as a synbiotic combination on the fecal microbiota of the same donors that participated in the previous study.…”