Human Milk Oligosaccharides Important for Infant Defense

Abstract

Human milk is the “gold standard” nutrition for infants. Human milk contains all necessary nutrients needed for infant growth and developments. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are important functional ingredients found in human milk, in addition to standard nutrients. They have complex structure and represent third predominant components in human milk. Functions of HMOs are not fully understood but it is thought that they play an important role in the development of immune system, the prevention of pathogenic infection and, in the modulation of infant gut microbiota. HMOs are indigestible to human digestive enzymes and act as prebiotics. Study shows that HMOs favors promoting the colonisation of Bifidobacteria, which is found to be beneficial and major microbiome in the gut of breast-fed infants. HMOs show anti pathogenic effects and may protect infants from different pathogenic microorganisms such as, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter pylori, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholera and Rotavirus. HMOs may provide specific and/or non-specific immune defense to infants via various mechanisms. They may shape the growth of intestinal microflora, may prevent the attachment of pathogenic microorganisms to intestinal cells and may influence inflammatory processes by reducing leukocyte binding to endothelial cells. In vivo defense functions of HMOs in the human milk-fed infants have not been established yet. Future research may focus on to elucidate and verify the beneficial effects of HMOs for the breast-fed infant, as well as impact of HMOs to the health of the breast-feeding mother and the composition of other milk components.