title: Occurrence of oligosaccharides in feces of breast-fed babies in their first six months of life and the corresponding breast milk.
abstract: The characterization of oligosaccharides in the feces of breast-fed babies is a valuable tool for monitoring the gastrointestinal fate of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). In the present study we monitored fecal oligosaccharide profiles together with the HMO-profiles of the respective breast milks up to six months postpartum, by means of capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection and mass spectrometry. Eleven mother/child pairs were included. Mother's secretor- and Lewis-type included all combinations [Le(a-b+), Le(a+b-), Le(a-b-)]. The fecal HMO-profiles in the first few months of life are either predominantly composed of neutral or acidic HMOs and are possibly effected by the HMO-fingerprint in the respective breast milk. Independent of the initial presence of acidic or neutral fecal HMOs, a gradual change to blood-group specific oligosaccharides was observed. Their presence pointed to a gastrointestinal degradation of the feeding-related HMOs, followed by conjugation with blood group specific antigenic determinants present in the gastrointestinal mucus layer. Eleven of these 'hybrid'-oligosaccharides were annotated in this study. When solid food was introduced, no HMOs and their degradation- and metabolization products were recovered in the fecal samples.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Wageningen University, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: Henk A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Schols
authors.forename: Ellen G H M
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: van den Heuvel
authors.forename: Alphons G J
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Voragen
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gruppen
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000737:chemistry; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C492698:9-aminopyrene-1,4,6-trisulfonic acid; D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D011721:Pyrenes; D013451:Sulfonic Acids