Milk Oligosaccharides: Biological Functions and Application Prospects

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 868

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Proteomics Core Facility at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
Interests: glycomics; glycosyltransferase; mucins; milk oligosaccharide

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Milk oligosaccharide fraction (MO) is the third largest constituent of mammalian milk and colostrum, following lactose and lipids. Since the first individual human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) was characterized in 1930, the biological significance of MO, especially HMO, has been explored continuously. Additionally, infant nutrition, biological functions and structural diversity among mammalian species still gain significant attention, with primary research into balancing infants’ gut microbiota as a prebiotic, the utilization of antiadhesives as anti-infection agents, and deploying immune system modulators and nutrients for brain development. In addition to these common functions, the heterogeneity and diversity of MO in most mammals studied thus far indicate they may serve different physiological significances. This Special Issue aims to present the main lines of MO from new species, highlight new aseptic methods, and share future perspectives of MO biological function.

Dr. Chunsheng Jin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • milk oligosaccharides
  • colostrum
  • HMO
  • gut microbiota
  • immune modulator
  • prebiotics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

14 pages, 1157 KiB  
Review
The Role of Milk Oligosaccharides in Enhancing Intestinal Microbiota, Intestinal Integrity, and Immune Function in Pigs: A Comparative Review
by Alexa Gormley, Yesid Garavito-Duarte and Sung Woo Kim
Biology 2024, 13(9), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13090663 - 26 Aug 2024
Viewed by 377
Abstract
The objective of this review was to identify the characteristics and functional roles of milk coproducts from human, bovine, and porcine sources and their impacts on the intestinal microbiota and intestinal immunity of suckling and nursery pigs. Modern pig production weans piglets at [...] Read more.
The objective of this review was to identify the characteristics and functional roles of milk coproducts from human, bovine, and porcine sources and their impacts on the intestinal microbiota and intestinal immunity of suckling and nursery pigs. Modern pig production weans piglets at 3 to 4 weeks of age, which is earlier than pigs would naturally be weaned outside of artificial rearing. As a result, the immature intestines of suckling and nursery pigs face many challenges associated with intestinal dysbiosis, which can be caused by weaning stress or the colonization of the intestines by enteric pathogens. Milk oligosaccharides are found in sow milk and function as a prebiotic in the intestines of pigs as they cannot be degraded by mammalian enzymes and are thus utilized by intestinal microbial populations. The consumption of milk oligosaccharides during suckling and through the nursery phase can provide benefits to young pigs by encouraging the proliferation of beneficial microbial populations, preventing pathogen adhesion to enterocytes, and through directly modulating immune responses. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the specific functional components of milk oligosaccharides from human, bovine, and porcine sources, and identify potential strategies to utilize milk oligosaccharides to benefit young pigs through the suckling and nursery periods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Milk Oligosaccharides: Biological Functions and Application Prospects)
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