Abstract
Caprine milk contains the highest amount of oligosaccharides among domestic animals, which are structurally similar to human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). This suggests caprine milk oligosaccharides may offer similar protective and developmental effects to that of HMOs. However, to date, studies using oligosaccharides from caprine milk have been limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine the impact of a caprine milk oligosaccharide-enriched fraction (CMOF) on barrier function of epithelial cell co-cultures of absorptive enterocytes (Caco-2 cells) and mucus-secreting goblet cells (HT29-MTX cells), that more closely simulate the cell proportions found in the small (90:10) and large intestine (75:25). Treatment of epithelial co-cultures with 0.4, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/mL of CMOF was shown to have no effect on metabolic activity but did enhance cell epithelial barrier integrity as measured by trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER), in a dose-dependent manner. The CMOF at the maximum concentration tested (4.0 mg/mL) enhanced TEER, mucin gene expression and mucin protein abundance of epithelial co-cultures, all of which are essential components of intestinal barrier function.
Highlights
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have many beneficial functions, including the selective enrichment of the intestinal microbiota with beneficial bifidobacteria [1]; anti-infective properties due to their structural similarity to host cell surface receptors and mucin proteins [2]; promoting the immune system; modulating the normal growth, differentiation, and apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells [3,4]; and enhancing intestinal epithelial barrier function [1]
Some HMOs can be chemically synthesised, an alternative source of natural lactose-derived oligosaccharides is from ruminant milk
The composition of ruminant milk varies between different species and breeds, and throughout lactation [5]
Summary
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have many beneficial functions, including the selective enrichment of the intestinal microbiota with beneficial bifidobacteria [1]; anti-infective properties due to their structural similarity to host cell surface receptors and mucin proteins [2]; promoting the immune system; modulating the normal growth, differentiation, and apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells [3,4]; and enhancing intestinal epithelial barrier function [1]. Caprine milk contains substantially less oligosaccharides than human milk (3–20 g/L) [6,7] at 0.25–0.30 g/L but has 5–8 times more than bovine milk (0.03–0.06 g/L) and 10 times more than ovine milk (0.02–0.04 g/L) [2]. Milk from these ruminant species contains a variety of neutral and acidic oligosaccharide structures, the overall oligosaccharide profile of caprine milk is more similar to human milk than either bovine or ovine milk [2].
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