J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Dec 1. [Epub ahead of print]
Difilippo E, Bettonvil M, Willems HA, Braber S, Fink-Gremmels J, Jeurink PV, Schoterman M, Gruppen H, Schols HA.
Abstract
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are absorbed into the blood (about 1% of the HMOs intake) and subsequently excreted in urine, where they may protect the infant from pathogen infection. As dietary galacto-oligosaccharides have partially structural similarities with HMOs, this study investigated the presence of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and oligosaccharides originating from milk replacer in blood serum, urine, cecal and fecal samples of piglets,
as model for infants. Using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry,
and capillary electrophoresis with fluorescence detection, oligosaccharides
originating from piglet diet including 3'-sialyllactose and specific
GOS ranging from degree of polymerization 3 to 6 were detected in blood serum and in urine of piglets. In blood serum, GOS levels ranged from 16-23 g/ml, representing about 0.1% of the GOS daily intake. In urine, approximately 0.85 g of GOS/g of creatinine was found. Cecum digesta and feces contained low amounts of oligosaccharides, suggesting an extensive GOS intestinal fermentation in piglets.
