Select human milk oligosaccharide supplementation in post‐weanling rats affects metabolism and gut microbiota into adulthood

Abstract

Feeding infants with human milk versus formula can produce long-lasting benefits, including reduced risk of inflammatory diseases. Most infant formulas do not contain human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which are important carbohydrates in human breast milk displaying prebiotic properties. The study's aim was to examine the effect of select HMOs in the post-weaning period. Metabolic and microbial outcomes were measured in female and male rats whose post-weaning diet was supplemented with 3'sialyllactose and 2'-O-fucosyllactose (low dose, 0.75% of each, or high dose, 2% of each). It was determined whether exposure to the HMOs would attenuate metabolic dysfunction associated with a high fat/sucrose (HFS) diet. HMO supplementation resulted in dose-dependent and sex-dependent effects, with the high HMO female group displaying reduced food intake and percentage body fat and an increase in Blautia abundance. Early life HMO supplementation did not prevent the effects of an HFS diet on metabolic outcomes; however, rats that received high dose HMOs followed by the HFS diet were the only HFS group that maintained a measurable abundance of Blautia. This study highlights the potential for HMOs in follow-up infant formulas. Further investigation should include variable HMO mixtures and doses to optimize infant nutrition at this critical stage.