Paving the way for synbiotic studies

Studies have shown that Human Milk Oligosaccharides present in human milk can help in the development, and even restore the gut microbiome in infants and are related to various benefits including the support to immunity. At the same time, it was shown that formula that is supplemented with a blend of 5 HMOs are well-tolerated and safe, support gut microbiome development and improve gut maturation markers. Supplementation of probiotics, on the other hand such as B. infantis, can support the metabolism of HMOs, which in turn produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) compounds known by their involvement in supporting gut health and immunomodulatory effects. Omar Delannoy Bruno, PhD, highlights that pre- and probiotics may have synergistic effects, meaning both together have a greater effect when compared to the sum of their individual effects and describe ongoing study with the supplementation of 6HMOs and B. infantis and B. lactis in infants.