Abstract
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the third most abundant solid component of breast milk. However, the newborn cannot assimilate them as nutrients. They are recognized prebiotic agents (the first in the newborn diet) that stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms, mainly the genus Bifidobacterium, dominant in the gut of breastfed infants. The structures of the oligosaccharides vary mainly according to maternal genetics, but also other maternal factors such as parity and mode of delivery, age, diet, and nutritional status or even geographic location and seasonality cause different breast milk oligosaccharides profiles. Differences in the profiles of HMO have been linked to breast milk microbiota and gut microbial colonization of babies. Here, we provide a review of the scope of reports on associations between HMOs and the infant gut microbiota to assess the impact of HMO composition.
Highlights
The advantages of breastfeeding are unanimously defended by all health establishments [1]
Mode of delivery is generally accepted as a significant factor associated with initial gut colonization
Results are still inconclusive, and some research suggests that infant microbiota undergoes substantial reorganization during the first months of life [42]
Summary
The advantages of breastfeeding are unanimously defended by all health establishments [1]. Breast milk oligosaccharides reach the distal area of the small intestine and colon practically intact They are recognized prebiotic agents (the first in the newborn diet) that stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms, mainly Bifidobacterium genus (dominant species in breastfed infants gut) and, to a lesser extent, some strains of Bacteroides and Lactobacillus. As these bacteria express sialidases and fucosidases, oligosaccharides promote the growth of these strains over other bacteria that cannot use HMOs as an energy source [8]. A brief discussion on hypotheses around possible mechanisms by which the HMO profile may influence the microbiome will be included
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