Effect of supplementation with select human milk oligosaccharides on artificially reared newborn rats

Br J Nutr. 2021 Dec 29:1-26. doi: 10.1017/S0007114521005146. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTEarly life nutrition fundamentally influences neonatal development and health. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are key components of breast milk, but not standard infant formula that support establishment of the newborn gut microbiota. Using an artificial rearing system, our objective was to test the effect of two HMOs on whole body and organ growth, adiposity, glucose tolerance, and fecal microbiota in young rat pups. From postnatal day 4 to 21, Sprague Dawley rats were randomized to receive one of: 1) CTR (rat milk substitute); 2) 2'FL (CTR +1.2 g/L 2'-fucosyllactose); 3) 3'SL (CTR+1.2 g/L 3'-sialyllactose); 4) 2'FL+3'SL (CTR+0.6 g/L 2'-FL+0.6 g/L 3'-SL). Body weight, bowel movements and food intake were monitored daily, fecal samples collected each week, and oral glucose tolerance, body composition, and organ weight measured at weaning. No significant differences were observed between groups in growth performance, body composition, organ weight and abundance of dominant fecal microbes. A decreased relative abundance of genus Proteus in week1 fecal samples and Terrisporobacter in week3 fecal samples (P<0.05) was suggestive of a potential pathogen inhibitory effect of 3'SL. Longitudinal changes in the fecal microbiota of artificially reared suckling rats were primarily governed by age (P =0.001) and not affected by the presence of 2'-FL and/or 3'-SL in rat milk substitutes (P =0....
Source: The British Journal of Nutrition - Category: Nutrition Authors: Source Type: research