Systematic review of the concentrations of oligosaccharides in human milk

Abstract

ContextOligosaccharides are the third largest solid component in human milk. These diverse compounds are thought to have numerous beneficial functions in infants, including protection against infectious diseases. The structures of more than 100 oligosaccharides in human milk have been elucidated so far.ObjectiveThe aim of this review was to identify the main factors that affect the concentrations of oligosaccharides in human milk and to determine whether it is possible to calculate representative and reliable mean concentrations.Data SourcesA comprehensive literature search on oligosaccharide concentrations in human milk was performed in 6 electronic databases: BIOSIS, Current Contents Search, Embase, Lancet Titles, MEDLINE and PubMed.Study SelectionThe initial search resulted in 1363 hits. After the elimination of duplicates, the literature was screened. The application of strict inclusion criteria resulted in 21 articles selected.Data ExtractionOligosaccharide concentrations, both mean values and single values, reported in the literature were sorted by gestational age, secretor status of mothers, and defined lactation periods.ResultsMean concentrations, including confidence limits, of 33 neutral and acidic oligosaccharides reported could be calculated. Concentrations of oligosaccharides in human milk show variations that are dependent on both the secretor type of the mother and the lactation period as examined by analyses of variance. In addition, large interlaboratory variations in the data were observed.ConclusionsWorldwide interlaboratory quantitative analyses of identical milk samples would be required to identify the most reliable methods of determining concentrations of oligosaccharides in human milk. The data presented here contribute to the current knowledge about the composition and quantities of oligosaccharides in human milk and may foster greater understanding of the biological functions of these compounds.

Correlating Infant Fecal Microbiota Composition and Human Milk Oligosaccharide Consumption by Microbiota of 1‐Month‐Old Breastfed Infants

“…The minimum, maximum, median, average, and standard deviation of the concentrations of each HMO, the HMO type (neutral, fucosylated, and sialylated), and the total amounts are summarized in Table . Total concentrations of the measured HMOs in milk ranged from 2.0 to 6.5 mg mL −1 and were lower than those reported in literature . We observed large individual variation in the HMO concentrations in both the maternal milk samples and in infant feces.…”

Toxicological safety assessment of the human‐identical milk oligosaccharide 3′‐sialyllactose sodium salt

“…The absence of any genotoxicity or subchronic toxicity associated with 3′‐SL is to be expected, as it is endogenous in human and mammalian milks (Thurl, Munzert, Boehm, Matthews, & Stahl, ; Urashima, Saito, Nakamura, & Messer, ) and no undesirable impurities are introduced during the manufacturing process. It has also been demonstrated in clinical studies that biosynthesized 3′‐SL is well tolerated in humans at up to 20 g/day (Meli et al, ; Parente, Cucino, Anderloni, Grandinetti, & Bianchi Porro, ; Rasko, Wang, Monteiro, Palcic, & Taylor, ).…”

“…The reported ranges of 3′‐SL in human milk (0.06 to 0.6 g/L of milk) demonstrate that 3′‐SL is on average among the most abundant sialylated HMOs of human milk (Kunz et al, ; McGuire et al, ; Nijman et al, ; Thurl et al, ). Based on the average milk consumption for newborn infants of ~600 mL/day (Hester et al, ), mean intakes of naturally occurring 3′‐SL from human milk could reach as high as 360 mg/day, equivalent to 109 mg/kg BW/day for a 3.3 kg infant (the median weight for male newborn babies; WHO, ).…”

Cross-feeding interactions of gut symbionts driven by human milk oligosaccharidesand mucins

“…Currently, over 200 HMOS structures are detected with only 50 structures accounting for 99% of the total HMOS abundance in human milk (Ninonuevo et al 2006, Smilowitz et al 2014, Wu et al 2010, Wu et al 2011. The composition of HMOS is different between individuals and is determined by maternal genetic factors (McGuire et al 2017, Thurl et al 2017. The Secretor Status (Se) and Lewis (Le) genes, which determine the blood group of humans also determine the presence or absence of some fucosylated oligosaccharides in human milk (Bode 2012).…”

“…HMOS may also carry α1-2 fucose linked to galactose, α1-3 fucose linked to glucose, and/or α2-6 Neu5Ac linked to GlcNAc. The depiction for specific HMOS structures are available at Thurl et al (Thurl et al 2017). The hypothetical mucin Oglycan chain is adapted from Tailford et al (Tailford et al 2015).…”