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REVIEW article

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Intestinal Microbiome
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1386421

Human Milk Oligosaccharides: Bridging the Gap in Intestinal Microbiota Between Mothers and Infants

Provisionally accepted
Wen Sun Wen Sun *Lin Tao Lin Tao Chen Qian Chen Qian Peipei Xue Peipei Xue Sisi Du Sisi Du Yingna Tao Yingna Tao
  • Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Breast milk is an essential source of infant nutrition. It is also a vital determinant of the structure and function of the infant intestinal microbial community, and it connects the mother and infant intestinal microbiota. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a critical component in breast milk. HMOs can reach the baby's colon entirely from milk and become a fermentable substrate for some intestinal microorganisms. HMOs can enhance intestinal mucosal barrier function and affect the intestinal function of the host through immune function, which has a therapeutic effect on specific infant intestinal diseases, such as necrotizing enterocolitis. In addition, changes in infant intestinal microbiota can reflect the maternal intestinal microbiota. HMOs are a link between the maternal intestinal microbiota and infant intestinal microbiota. HMOs affect the intestinal microbiota of infants and are related to the maternal milk microbiota. Through breastfeeding, maternal microbiota and HMOs jointly affect infant intestinal bacteria. Therefore, HMOs positively influence the establishment and balance of the infant microbial community, which is vital to ensure infant intestinal function. Therefore, HMOs can be used as a supplement and alternative therapy for infant intestinal diseases.

    Keywords: human milk oligosaccharides1, intestinal microbiota2, breast milk3, infants4, Nutrition5

    Received: 15 Feb 2024; Accepted: 04 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Sun, Tao, Qian, Xue, Du and Tao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wen Sun, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.