The role of milk sialyllactose in intestinal bacterial colonization

Adv Nutr. 2012 May 1;3(3):483S-8S. doi: 10.3945/an.111.001651.

Abstract

Milk oligosaccharides influence the composition of intestinal microbiota and thereby mucosal inflammation. Some of the major milk oligosaccharides are α2,3-sialyllactose (3SL) and α2,6-sialyllactose, which are mainly produced by the sialyltransferases ST3GAL4 and ST6GAL1, respectively. Recently, we showed that mice fed milk deficient in 3SL were more resistant to dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. By contrast, the exposure to milk containing or deficient in 3SL had no impact on the development of mucosal leukocyte populations. Milk 3SL mainly affected the colonization of the intestine by clostridial cluster IV bacteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bifidobacterium / drug effects
  • Bifidobacterium / isolation & purification
  • Colitis / chemically induced
  • Colitis / drug therapy
  • Colitis / physiopathology
  • Dextran Sulfate / adverse effects
  • Dextran Sulfate / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / drug effects*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology*
  • Lactose / analogs & derivatives*
  • Metagenome / drug effects*
  • Mice
  • Milk / chemistry*
  • Oligosaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Sialyltransferases / genetics
  • Sialyltransferases / metabolism

Substances

  • Oligosaccharides
  • Dextran Sulfate
  • Sialyltransferases
  • Lactose