A NEW MIXTURE OF NEUTRAL AND ACIDIC OLIGOSACCHARIDES AND THEIR IMMUNE-MODULATORY CAPABILITIES

Abstract

ST07 NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL EFFECTS ON HOST DEFENCE DURING INFANCY Satellite Symposium organized by NUTRICIA BABY FOOD Introduction: Breast feeding is associated with a lower incidence of allergic and infectious diseases. This effect is due in part to the stimulatory effect of the intestinal flora on the postnatal development of the immune system. Along with other components of human milk, oligosaccharides play a key role in positively influencing the postnatal development of the intestinal flora. Human milk oligosaccharides contain app. 80% neutral and 20% acidic structures. In the search for functional analogues of human milk oligosaccharides for use in infant formulas, we developed a mixture of neutral oligosaccharides consisting of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and long chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS). More recently, we have also investigated acidic oligosaccharides (AOS) derived from pectin hydrolysate. Results: In several clinical trials we have demonstrated that feeding a formula supplemented with this mixture of neutral oligosaccharides results in an entire intestinal flora similar to that found in breast fed infants. As with the oligosaccharides from human milk, GOS, FOS and AOS are resistant to digestion in the gastrointestinal tract and they can be detected in the faeces. The short chain fatty acid pattern in the stools of infants fed a GOS/FOS supplemented formula is characterized by a high percentage of acetate and a low percentage of butyrate and propionate, thus mimicking the short chain fatty acid pattern in the stools of breast fed infants. This high level of acetate may help to strengthen the gut barrier since acetate is more effective than either propionate or butyrate in stimulating an increased PGE1/PGE2 ratio, which has a mucroprotective effect (mucin quantity and mucin quality). In a study using the mouse vaccination model, feeding GOS/FOS stimulated a more balanced Th1/Th2 immune response. Also, in an animal model for allergic hypersensitivity using ovalbumin as the allergen, dietary GOS/FOS inhibited allergic inflammation. In both models, the addition of AOS to the GOS/FOS mixture increased significantly the immune modulatory outcome, indicating a synergistic effect of GOS/FOS and AOS. Both the mixture of GOS/FOS alone (0.8 g/dl) or in combination with AOS (0.6 g GOS/FOS plus 0.2 g AOS/dl) are well tolerated by infants. Conclusion: The data from our studies demonstrate that dietary oligosaccharides, as a mixture of GOS/FOS alone or in combination with AOS, can positively influence the entire intestinal flora and the postnatal development of the immune system. Further research will demonstrate whether these substances can play an important role in allergy prevention.