Structures and Metabolic Properties of Bovine Milk Oligosaccharides and Their Potential in the Development of Novel Therapeutics

Abstract

Among the many bioactive components in human milk, the free oligosaccharides (OS) have been intensely studied in recent decades due to their unique ability to selectively modulate the infant gut microbiota, in addition to providing numerous other health benefits. In light of the demonstrated value of these compounds, recent studies have set out to characterize the structures and properties of the similar and more widely-available OS in the dairy industry. This mini review gives a brief overview of the common analytical techniques used to characterize bovine milk OS and highlights several recent, key studies that have identified valuable physiological and metabolic effects of these molecules in vivo . Although traditionally considered indigestible by human enzymes, evidence now suggests that milk OS are partially absorbed in the intestines and likely contribute to the development of molecular structures in the brain. Furthermore, aside from their prebiotic effects, these compounds show promise as therapeutics that could alleviate numerous metabolic abnormalities, including undernutrition, obesity, and excessive intestinal permeability. The need for novel treatments to address these and related health issues is motivating the development of scalable techniques to produce large quantities of milk OS for use as food ingredients. The safety and tolerability of high dosages of bovine milk OS have been demonstrated in two independent human studies, which potentially opens the door for further research aiming to utilize these molecules to alleviate common metabolic health issues.

Synbiotic Effect of Bifidobacterium lactis CNCM I-3446 and Bovine Milk-Derived Oligosaccharides on Infant Gut Microbiota

“…However, cross-feeding was only sparsely observed, with light production of butyrate and propionate, as expected for preweaning infants [69]. Given the fact that a low pH has been correlated with the inhibition of pathogenic bacteria [70][71][72], and SCFA to be beneficial for the intestinal health [73][74][75][76], this study confirmed BMOS as potent prebiotic, in alignment with other studies [31]. Despite the consistent prebiotic effects of BMOS, interindividual variability was observed among the 10 donors.…”

“…Sazawal and colleagues [ 27 ] reported a reduction in bloody diarrhea, days with fever, and the prevalence of ear infection in infants consuming B. lactis (HN019) together with GOS. More recently, Bovine Milk-derived OligoSaccharides (BMOS) were proposed as a valid alternative to GOS [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. BMOS, as described by Meli and colleagues [ 32 ], are derived from demineralized whey permeate.…”

Plant‐based Milks: A Review of the Science Underpinning Their Design, Fabrication, and Performance

“…The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) in raw bovine milk contains components (lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates) that are believed to interact with the gut microbiome of the growing infant (Bourlieu et al, 2017). In addition, bovine milk contains various kinds of oligosaccharides that can also promote the establishment of a healthy gut microbiome (Oliveira, Wilbey, Grandison, & Roseiro, 2015;Robinson, 2019). As a result, these milk constituents may provide protection against inflammatory diseases and contribute to the development of a healthy immune system.…”

The Impact of Dietary Fucosylated Oligosaccharides and Glycoproteins of Human Milk on Infant Well-Being

“…Presently, due to having the highest concentration among human milk oligosaccharides, 2 -FL is the best characterized and tested oligosaccharide which is added to infant's formula [15]. By 2019, nearly 200 US patents on adding 2 -FL as a food ingredient had been reported [157]. Recently, two detailed reviews concerning the addition of individual HMOs, namely fucosylated 2 -FL and non-fucosylated lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), to different infant formulas by Reverri and coworkers [158] and by Vandenplas and coworkers [15], respectively, were published.…”

“…Moreover, recent reports [16,157] show that interest in the addition of fucosylated oligosaccharides, mainly 2 -FL, is growing not only for infant formula, but also in highly specialized food preparations that can be used in the clinic and which are extremely important for the health of the general public. Additionally, to meet the needs, new techniques have been developed that allow the determination of fucosylated milk oligosaccharides such as 2 -FL and 3-FL not only in breast milk, but also to control levels in commercially available infant formulas [164].…”