Breast Milk's Protective Qualities Replicated in New Study

01 Feb 2016 --- A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition today shows the anti-inflammatory intestinal protection of human milk oligosaccharides can be synthetically replicated, marking an important step forward in infant formula development.
The study investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS), and the unique galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) complex Bimuno, on gut inflammation using a human cell based model. Similar to human milk, both HMOS and GOS were found to directly reduce inflammation, which is considered to be essential for healthy gut development in early life.

Scientists have long been trying to replicate the protection that breast milk can provide from infection. This is the first time that a synthetic GOS has shown the protective effect of helping to prevent inflammation of the intestine induced by pro-inflammatory molecules such as pathogenic organisms.

Dr David Newburg, Director of Glycobiology at Boston College and lead investigator of the study told NutritionInsight: “I believe that the HMOS could revolutionize our ability to maintain the health of the human gut, akin to the impact of antibiotics 70 years ago".

Dr Newburg explained the significance of this replication: "The results of these studies demonstrate that HMOS strongly inhibit inflammation in immature human intestine, indicating yet another benefit of breastfeeding”. He added: “Of course, including these human milk oligosaccharides in formula would represent one additional step in making these artificial substitutes for human milk closer in function to the real thing, so that all infants can benefit from the research". 

HMOS and this particular GOS both share the same components 3’-,4-, and 6’-galactosyllactose (GL) – albeit in different proportions. The effect is attributed to the specific mixture of these three GL molecules present in both HMOS and in Bimuno.
 
Bimuno is the result of intensive research and development dating back to 2000, conducted in collaboration with the Food Microbial Sciences Unit in the University of Reading, UK, and other globally recognized research institutes. 

“We are excited by the results of this important study and are committed to further investigating the benefits Bimuno could offer infants who cannot be breast fed” said Graham Waters, CEO at Clasado (the producers and suppliers of Bimuno). 

“The next step in our robust scientific program is an infant feeding study comparing the properties of human milk, Bimuno and other GOS formulations” Waters added. Dr Newburg told NutritionInsight more about future research for other isolated synthetic HMOS: “We plan to investigate how the most promising of these, a molecule called 2'-fucosyllactose, could work in synergy with GOS to potentially provide even more protection than each separately”.

“We hope it won’t be long before infants who cannot be breast fed will be able to experience similar anti-inflammatory benefits as breast fed infants” Waters concluded.