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Nutrients May 2024One of the most important bioactive components of breast milk are free breast milk oligosaccharides, which are a source of energy for commensal intestinal... (Review)
Review
One of the most important bioactive components of breast milk are free breast milk oligosaccharides, which are a source of energy for commensal intestinal microorganisms, stimulating the growth of , , and in a child's digestive tract. There is some evidence that maternal, perinatal, and environmental-cultural factors influence the modulation of the breast milk microbiome. This review summarizes research that has examined the composition of the breast milk microbiome and the factors that may influence it. The manuscript highlights the potential importance of the breast milk microbiome for the future development and health of children. The origin of bacteria in breast milk is thought to include the mother's digestive tract (entero-mammary tract), bacterial exposure to the breast during breastfeeding, and the retrograde flow of breast milk from the infant's mouth to the woman's milk ducts. Unfortunately, despite increasingly more precise methods for assessing microorganisms in human milk, the topic of the human milk microbiome is still quite limited and requires scientific research that takes into account various conditions.
Topics: Milk, Human; Humans; Female; Microbiota; Breast Feeding; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Gastrointestinal Microbiome
PubMed: 38794658
DOI: 10.3390/nu16101420 -
Nutrients Aug 2019Human milk is the most complete and ideal form of nutrition for the developing infant. The composition of human milk consistently changes throughout lactation to meet... (Review)
Review
Human milk is the most complete and ideal form of nutrition for the developing infant. The composition of human milk consistently changes throughout lactation to meet the changing functional needs of the infant. The human milk proteome is an essential milk component consisting of proteins, including enzymes/proteases, glycoproteins, and endogenous peptides. These compounds may contribute to the healthy development in a synergistic way by affecting growth, maturation of the immune system, from innate to adaptive immunity, and the gut. A comprehensive overview of the human milk proteome, covering all of its components, is lacking, even though numerous analyses of human milk proteins have been reported. Such data could substantially aid in our understanding of the functionality of each constituent of the proteome. This review will highlight each of the aforementioned components of human milk and emphasize the functionality of the proteome throughout lactation, including nutrient delivery and enhanced bioavailability of nutrients for growth, cognitive development, immune defense, and gut maturation.
Topics: Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Lactation; Milk, Human; Proteome
PubMed: 31398857
DOI: 10.3390/nu11081834 -
Biomolecular Concepts Sep 2017The benefits of breastfeeding over formula feed are widely appreciated. However, for many mothers breastfeeding is not possible, highlighting the need for a significant... (Review)
Review
The benefits of breastfeeding over formula feed are widely appreciated. However, for many mothers breastfeeding is not possible, highlighting the need for a significant improvement in the contents of formula feed. In this article, the overlooked role of melatonin and the melatonergic pathways in breast milk and in the regulation of wider breast milk components are reviewed. There is a growing appreciation that the benefits of breastfeeding are mediated by its effects in the infant gut, with consequences for the development of the gut-brain axis and the immune system. The melatonergic pathways are intimately associated with highly researched processes in the gut, gut microbiome and gut-brain axis. As the melatonergic pathways are dependent on the levels of serotonin availability as a necessary precursor, decreased melatonin is linked to depression and depression-associated disorders. The association of breastfeeding and the gut-brain axis with a host of medical conditions may be mediated by their regulation of processes that modulate depression susceptibility. The biological underpinnings of depression include increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, kynurenine pathway activity and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis, all of which can decrease melatonergic pathway activity. The inclusion of the melatonergic pathways in the biological interactions of breast milk and gut development has significant theoretical and treatment implications, as well as being important to the prevention of a host of infant-, child- and adult-onset medical conditions.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Child Development; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Infant; Melatonin; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Milk, Human
PubMed: 28723608
DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2017-0009 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Sep 2016Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating intestinal disease in preterm infants characterized by barrier disruption, intestinal microbial dysbiosis, and... (Review)
Review
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating intestinal disease in preterm infants characterized by barrier disruption, intestinal microbial dysbiosis, and persistent inflammation of the colon, which results in high mortality rates. Current strategies used to manage this disease are not sufficient, although the use of human breast milk reduces the risk of NEC. Mother's milk is regarded as a fundamental nutritional source for neonates, but pasteurization of donor breast milk affects the composition of bioactive compounds. Current research is evaluating the benefits and potential pitfalls of adding probiotics and prebiotics to pasteurized milk so as to improve the functionality of the milk and thereby reduce the burden of illness caused by NEC. Probiotics (live micro-organisms that confer health to the host) and prebiotics (nondigestible oligosaccharides that stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria) are functional foods known to mediate immune responses and modulate microbial populations in the gut. Clinical research shows strain- and compound-specific responses when probiotics or prebiotics are administered in conjunction with donor breast milk for the prevention of NEC. Despite ongoing controversy surrounding optimal treatment strategies, randomized controlled studies are now investigating the use of synbiotics to reduce the incidence and severity of NEC. Synbiotics, a combination of probiotics and prebiotics, have been proposed to enhance beneficial health effects in the intestinal tract more than either agent administered alone. This review considers the implications of using probiotic-, prebiotic-, and synbiotic-supplemented breast milk as a strategy to prevent NEC and issues that could be encountered with the preparations.
Topics: Bacteria; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Humans; Milk, Human; Neonatology; Oligosaccharides; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Synbiotics
PubMed: 27633108
DOI: 10.3945/an.116.012237 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Jan 2024Among exclusively breastfed infants, human milk (HM) provides complete nutrition in the first mo of life and remains an important energy source as long as breastfeeding...
Among exclusively breastfed infants, human milk (HM) provides complete nutrition in the first mo of life and remains an important energy source as long as breastfeeding continues. Consisting of digestible carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids, as well as fats and fatty acids, macronutrients in human milk have been well studied; however, many aspects related to their relationship to growth in early life are still not well understood. We systematically searched Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science to synthesize evidence published between 1980 and 2022 on HM components and anthropometry through 2 y of age among term-born healthy infants. From 9992 abstracts screened, 57 articles reporting observations from 5979 dyads were included and categorized based on their reporting of HM macronutrients and infant growth. There was substantial heterogeneity in anthropometric outcome measurement, milk collection timelines, and HM sampling strategies; thus, meta-analysis was not possible. In general, digestible carbohydrates were positively associated with infant weight outcomes. Protein was positively associated with infant length, but no associations were reported for infant weight. Finally, HM fat was not consistently associated with any infant growth metrics, though various associations were reported in single studies. Fatty acid intakes were generally positively associated with head circumference, except for docosahexaenoic acid. Our synthesis of the literature was limited by differences in milk collection strategies, heterogeneity in anthropometric outcomes and analytical methodologies, and by insufficient reporting of results. Moving forward, HM researchers should accurately record and account for breastfeeding exclusivity, use consistent sampling protocols that account for the temporal variation in HM macronutrients, and use reliable, sensitive, and accurate techniques for HM macronutrient analysis.
Topics: Child; Female; Humans; Infant; Body Composition; Breast Feeding; Carbohydrates; Fatty Acids; Milk, Human; Nutrients; Proteins
PubMed: 37981047
DOI: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100149 -
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) Jan 2022There has been an increased prevalence of several allergic manifestations such as food allergy, atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma. Several explanations have... (Review)
Review
There has been an increased prevalence of several allergic manifestations such as food allergy, atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma. Several explanations have been proposed why this has occurred, but one of the main contributing factors may be the gradual loss of microbial exposures over time in regions where allergy is prevalent. Such exposures occur in individuals who practise a traditional farming lifestyle and are protected against allergy. Infant consumption of human milk, more commonly practised in these farming communities, may provide an alternative in combatting allergy, as it known to be beneficial to infant health. In this review, we cover human milk and its role in shaping the gut microbiome promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium, as well as the downstream impact of the farming lifestyle, human milk and Bifidobacterium has on developing infant immunity.
Topics: Agriculture; Food Hypersensitivity; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Infant; Life Style; Milk, Human
PubMed: 34626494
DOI: 10.1111/apa.16147 -
Microbiology Spectrum Jun 2023Multiple millennia of human evolution have shaped the chemical composition of breast milk toward an optimal human body fluid for nutrition and protection and for shaping...
Multiple millennia of human evolution have shaped the chemical composition of breast milk toward an optimal human body fluid for nutrition and protection and for shaping the early gut microbiota of newborns. This biological fluid is composed of water, lipids, simple and complex carbohydrates, proteins, immunoglobulins, and hormones. Potential interactions between hormones present in mother's milk and the microbial community of the newborn are a very fascinating yet unexplored topic. In this context, insulin, in addition to being one of the most prevalent hormones in breast milk, is also involved in a metabolic disease that affects many pregnant women, i.e., gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Analysis of 3,620 publicly available metagenomic data sets revealed that the bifidobacterial community varies in relation to the different concentrations of this hormone in breast milk of healthy and diabetic mothers. Starting from this assumption, in this study, we explored possible molecular interactions between this hormone and bifidobacterial strains that represent bifidobacterial species commonly occurring in the infant gut using 'omics' approaches. Our findings revealed that insulin modulates the bifidobacterial community by apparently improving the persistence of the Bifidobacterium bifidum taxon in the infant gut environment compared to other typical infant-associated bifidobacterial species. Breast milk is a key factor in modulating the infant's intestinal microbiota composition. Even though the interaction between human milk sugars and bifidobacteria has been extensively studied, there are other bioactive compounds in human milk that may influence the gut microbiota, such as hormones. In this article, the molecular interaction of the human milk hormone insulin and the bifidobacterial communities colonizing the human gut in the early stages of life has been explored. This molecular cross talk was assessed using an gut microbiota model and then analyzed by various omics approaches, allowing the identification of genes associated with bacterial cell adaptation/colonization in the human intestine. Our findings provide insights into the manner by which assembly of the early gut microbiota may be regulated by host factors such as hormones carried by human milk.
Topics: Infant; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Female; Pregnancy; Milk, Human; Bifidobacterium; Insulin; Microbiota; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Feces
PubMed: 37191543
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00665-23 -
Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2016The immune system of the infant is functionally immature and naïve. Human milk contains bioactive proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates that protect the newborn and... (Review)
Review
The immune system of the infant is functionally immature and naïve. Human milk contains bioactive proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates that protect the newborn and stimulate innate and adaptive immune development. This review will focus on the role human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) play in neonatal gastrointestinal and systemic immune development and function. For the past decade, intense research has been directed at defining the complexity of oligosaccharides in the milk of many species and is beginning to delineate their diverse functions. These studies have shown that human milk contains a higher concentration as well as a greater structural diversity and degree of fucosylation than the milk oligosaccharides in other species, particularly bovine milk from which many infant formulae are produced. The commercial availability of large quantities of certain HMO has furthered our understanding of the functions of specific HMO, which include protecting the infant from pathogenic infections, facilitating the establishment of the gut microbiota, promoting intestinal development, and stimulating immune maturation. Many of these actions are exerted through carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions with pathogens or host cells. Two HMOs, 2'-fucosyllactose (2'FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), have recently been added to infant formula. Although this is a first step in narrowing the compositional gap between human milk and infant formula, it is unclear whether 1 or 2 HMO will recapitulate the complexity of actions exerted by the complex mixture of HMO ingested by breastfed infants. Thus, as more HMO become commercially available, either isolated from bovine milk or chemically or microbially synthesized, it is anticipated that more oligosaccharides will be added to infant formula either alone or in combination with other prebiotics.
Topics: Child Development; Female; Humans; Immunity; Immunity, Mucosal; Infant Formula; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Infant, Newborn; Lactation; Milk, Human; Oligosaccharides
PubMed: 28103609
DOI: 10.1159/000452818 -
Jornal de Pediatria 2022
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Humans; Female; Milk, Human; Milk Banks; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Breast Feeding
PubMed: 35908657
DOI: 10.1016/j.jped.2022.07.001 -
Revista Paulista de Pediatria : Orgao... 2023The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of maternal and perinatal factors on the nutritional composition of human milk.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of maternal and perinatal factors on the nutritional composition of human milk.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2018 and January 2020, with 181 donors selected in Tertiary Health Units of the Unified Health System - from one collection station and five Human Milk Banks. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire. To be fit to be a donor in a Human Milk Banks and produce mature milk were the eligibility criteria to participate in the study. We excluded milk samples with Dornic acidity above 8° D. The dependent variables were the macronutrients of human milk (i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and total energy), that were analyzed using spectroscopy with the Miris Human Milk Analyzer™. The maternal and perinatal factors were the independent variables.
RESULTS
Women with pre-gestational obesity and gestational weight gain above the recommendation showed a lower protein concentration compared to eutrophic women (median=0.8, interquartile range (IQR): 0.7-0.9 vs. median=0.8, and IQR: 0.8-1.0) and those with adequate gestational weight gain (median=0.8, IQR: 0.7-0.9 vs. median=0.9, and IQR: 0.8-1.0), respectively. The other analyzed factors (i.e., maternal habits, comorbidities, and perinatal factors) were not associated with the nutritional composition of human milk.
CONCLUSIONS
The assessment of factors associated with the nutritional composition of human milk is extremely important to assist postpartum care. Pre-gestational obesity and inadequate gestational weight gain were the only factors statistically associated with the nutritional composition of human milk as they impacted its protein content.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Milk, Human; Gestational Weight Gain; Cross-Sectional Studies; Milk Banks; Obesity
PubMed: 38055463
DOI: 10.1590/1984-0462/2024/42/2023001