In vitro fermentation of human milk oligosaccharides by individual Bifidobacterium longum-dominant infant fecal inocula

Hongye Li; Jonathan A Lane; Juchun Chen; Zerong Lu; Hongwei Wang; Sushil Dhital; Xiong Fu; Qiang Huang; Feitong Liu; Bin Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119322

In vitro fermentation of human milk oligosaccharides by individual Bifidobacterium longum-dominant infant fecal inocula

Carbohydr Polym. 2022 Jul 1:287:119322. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119322. Epub 2022 Mar 8.

Authors

Hongye Li¹, Jonathan A Lane², Juchun Chen³, Zerong Lu³, Hongwei Wang³, Sushil Dhital⁴, Xiong Fu¹, Qiang Huang⁵, Feitong Liu⁶, Bin Zhang⁷

Affiliations

¹ South China University of Technology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation of Food Nutrition and Human Health, Guangzhou 510640, China.
² H&H Group, H&H Research, Global Research and Technology Centre, P61 K202 Co. Cork, Ireland.
³ H&H Group, H&H Research, China Research and Innovation, Guangzhou 510700, China.
⁴ Monash University, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Clayton Campus, VIC 3800, Australia.
⁵ South China University of Technology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation of Food Nutrition and Human Health, Guangzhou 510640, China; Sino-Singapore International Research Institute, Guangzhou 510555, China.
⁶ H&H Group, H&H Research, China Research and Innovation, Guangzhou 510700, China. Electronic address: erin.liu@hh.global.
⁷ South China University of Technology, School of Food Science and Engineering, Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation of Food Nutrition and Human Health, Guangzhou 510640, China; Sino-Singapore International Research Institute, Guangzhou 510555, China. Electronic address: zhangb@scut.edu.cn.

PMID: 35422288
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119322

Abstract

This study investigated the fermentation characteristics and microbial responses of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) by individual Bifidobacterium longum-dominant infant fecal microbiota. Fucosylated neutral HMOs (2'-fucosyllactose, 2'-FL; 3-fucosyllactose, 3-FL), sialylated HMOs (3'-sialyllactose, 3'-SL; 6'-sialyllactose, 6'-SL), and non-fucosylated neutral HMOs (Lacto-N-tetraose, LNT; Lacto-N-neotetraose, LNnT) were fermented in vitro, with fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) as positive controls. The fermentation rate was not affected by the molecular specificity of HMOs. Acetate (98-104 mM) and lactate (9-19 mM) were the primary metabolites at the end of fermentation. All six HMOs showed the same levels of acetate production, but sialylated HMOs produced significantly less lactate than neutral HMOs. HMOs and GOS could maintain the dominance or increase the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium longum, while FOS remarkably promote Klebsiella pneumoniae with the highest gas production and the least acetate and lactate yield. The findings are supportive to optimize infant nutrition strategies for enhanced functions.

Keywords: Bifidobacterium longum; Human milk oligosaccharides; In vitro fermentation; Infant gut microbiota.

MeSH terms

Bifidobacterium longum* / metabolism
Fermentation
Humans
Infant
Lactic Acid
Milk, Human* / metabolism
Oligosaccharides / metabolism

Substances

Oligosaccharides
Lactic Acid