The human milk component myo -inositol promotes neuronal connectivity

Abstract

Effects of micronutrients on brain connectivity are incompletely understood. Analyzing human milk samples across global populations, we identified the carbocyclic sugar myo -inositol as a component that promotes brain development. We determined that it is most abundant in human milk during early lactation when neuronal connections rapidly form in the infant brain. Myo -inositol promoted synapse abundance in human excitatory neurons as well as cultured rat neurons and acted in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, myo -inositol enhanced the ability of neurons to respond to transsynaptic interactions that induce synapses. Effects of myo -inositol in the developing brain were tested in mice, and its dietary supplementation enlarged excitatory postsynaptic sites in the maturing cortex. Utilizing an organotypic slice culture system, we additionally determined that myo -inositol is bioactive in mature brain tissue, and treatment of organotypic slices with this carbocyclic sugar increased the number and size of postsynaptic specializations and excitatory synapse density. This study advances our understanding of the impact of human milk on the infant brain and identifies myo -inositol as a breast milk component that promotes the formation of neuronal connections.

Phytic Acid Maintains Peripheral Neuron Integrity and Enhances Survivability against Platinum-Induced Degeneration via Reducing Reactive Oxygen Species and Enhancing Mitochondrial Membrane Potential

“…However, the local delivery of PA into the targeting cancerous tissue could be an option to achieve enhanced cancer cell death. The most common sources of PA are legumes, whole grains, and milk. ,, The world population, including cancer patients, consumes PA on a daily basis from secondary sources. However, the positive effect of PA in a clinical setting has not been well documented as a neuroprotective compound.…”

Infant formula ingredients: Updates for clinicians

“…Inositol is a carbocyclic carbohydrate, similar in structure to B vitamins, found in human milk 12 . Inositol is an essential component to phospholipid structure 12 .…”

“…Inositol is a carbocyclic carbohydrate, similar in structure to B vitamins, found in human milk 12 . Inositol is an essential component to phospholipid structure 12 . Furthermore, inositol is bioactive in brain tissue and plays a role in cellular signaling.…”

“…Furthermore, inositol is bioactive in brain tissue and plays a role in cellular signaling. In multiple models, dietary myo‐inositol promotes synaptic connectivity in the postnatal period, which is a crucial period for developing neuronal connections 12 . Additionally, inositol may reduce the risk and severity of respiratory distress syndrome 12 …”

Testing detectability, attractivity, hedonic specificity, extractability, and robustness of colostrum odor—Toward an olfactory bioassay for human neonates

“…Being normally the first ingesta of neonates, colostrum is an expectable target for the evolutionary optimization of their incipient vital functions. It indeed concentrates the mother-to-infant transfer of immune protection and digestive initiation (passive immunity, safe microbiota, essential nutrients, growth factors, and oro-digestive conditioning), but also of multiple hormones, bioactive peptides, and oligosaccharides that influence offspring's neurodevelopment and behavior (e.g., de Weerth et al, 2023;Paquette et al, 2023). But for any of these colostrum assets to be functional, neonates must first be attracted to the breast and accept to sense colostrum.…”