Abstract
Human Milk (HM) is the best source for newborn nutrition until at least six months; it exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-infective functions, promotes immune system formation and supports organ development. Breastfeeding could also protect from obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, human colostrum (HC) presents a peculiar role in newborn support as a protective effect against allergic and chronic diseases, in addition to long-term metabolic benefits. In this review, we discuss the recent literature regarding “omics” technologies and growth factors (GF) in HC and the effects of pasteurization on its composition. Our aim was to provide new evidence in terms of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics, also in relation to maternal metabolic diseases and/or fetal anomalies and to underline the functions of GF. Since HC results are so precious, particularly for the vulnerable pre-terms category, we also discuss the importance of HM pasteurization to ensure donated HC even to neonates whose mothers are unable to provide. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review analyzing in detail the molecular pattern, microbiota, bioactive factors, and dynamic profile of HC, finding clinical correlations of such mediators with their possible in vivo effects and with the consequent impact on neonatal outcomes.
Highlights
Human Breast Milk (HM) is a complex biological fluid which is considered the best source for infant nutrition, until at least the first six months of life [1,2,3,4]; it contains proteins, lipids, sugars, immune cells and bioactive molecules providing nutrition and exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-infective functions; HM promotes the formation of a correct immune system and supports organ development [5,6,7,8]
Fujimori et al [14] evaluated modifications of hormonal and immunological components comparing human colostrum (HC) samples from normoweight (n = 15), overweight (n = 15), and obese mothers (n = 15), demonstrating an increase of adiponectin and leptin in obese mothers; globally, these results suggest that HC can minimize inflammation and protect against negative fetal programming, which could lead to obesity later in life [14]
Compared to mature HM, HC contains a higher concentration of GF, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), transforming growth factor (TGF), fibroblast growth factors (FGF-6 and FGF-7), and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), promoting proliferation, maturation, protection, and repair of the intestinal epithelium [179]
Summary
Human Breast Milk (HM) is a complex biological fluid which is considered the best source for infant nutrition, until at least the first six months of life [1,2,3,4]; it contains proteins, lipids, sugars, immune cells and bioactive molecules providing nutrition and exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-infective functions; HM promotes the formation of a correct immune system and supports organ development [5,6,7,8]. Human colostrum (HC) seems to have a peculiar role in newborn support and plays a protective role against allergic and chronic diseases, in addition to long-term benefits such as a reduction in systo-diastolic pressure and total cholesterol, decreased risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM2), overweight and obesity [14,15,16,17,18,19,20] It seems that HC could contain different products on the basis of the newborn’s characteristics; for example, the HC of preterm neonates shows specific factors to sustain correct growth and maturation, and to prevent specific complications [21]. This paper pointed out the advantages of using a “omics” approach in milk studies and its importance for future perspectives [22]
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