HMOs (Human Milk Oligosaccharides) are unique carbohydrates that naturally occur in breast milk, ranking just behind fats and lactose as nutritional components. They are composed of five basic monosaccharides. To date, over two hundred types of human milk oligosaccharides have been identified, and numerous clinical studies have shown that human milk oligosaccharides promote gut health, immunological regulation, and cognitive function.

As one of the first nutrients discovered in breast milk, research institutions have initiated studies on the variations in the composition and concentration of human milk oligosaccharides in breast milk across different regions. An article published in the renowned journal "Nutrients" titled "Variations and Influencing Factors of human milk oligosaccharides Concentration in Lactation" reports that researchers studied breast milk samples from Chile, France, Germany, China, Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, and the United States. They found that the structures of human milk oligosaccharides in all samples contained LNT (a type of HMO, also referred to as lactose-N-tetraose) and LNnT (a type of HMO, also known as lactose-N-neotetraose).

The findings indicate significant variations in HMO content among mothers’ breast milk both domestically and internationally due to factors such as lactation period, blood type, and geography. The concentration of Lacto-N-tetraose in the colostrum of Chinese mothers was found to be the highest. (The most abundant HMO in European and American breast milk is 2’-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL). Breast milk from mothers in China, Japan, Malaysia, and Samoa also contains 2’-Fucosyllactose, but at slightly lower average concentrations than Lacto-N-tetraose.)

With the deepening of research, scientists have discovered that human milk oligosaccharides have distinct specific functions, and the supplementation of human milk oligosaccharides and their complexes plays a significant role in regulating gut microbiota imbalance, improving gut function, and promoting overall gut and bodily health in adults and specific patient populations.

Lacto-N-tetraose is a core type of human milk oligosaccharides that is highly abundant in human breast milk. Its primary function is to reduce the colonization of pathogenic bacteria and the infections caused by metabolic toxins, while supporting the proliferation of Bifidobacteria.

Research has shown that Lactose-N-neotetraose can specifically bind to receptors of glycosyltransferases, exhibit substrate specificity for glycosidases, and possess structures of antigenic determinants. It acts effectively as a bacterial receptor for Streptococcus pneumoniae, improving the gut microbiota composition in infants and demonstrating similar safety and tolerance in older children and adults. Studies confirm that Lactose-N-neotetraose, with its multiple physiological active functions, can serve as a therapeutic agent and be included in treatment applications.

Lacto-N-trioseⅡ (also known as lactose-N-trisaccharide) affects the healthy balance of gut microbiota, particularly by rapidly increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreasing that of pathogenic bacteria. An article published in the journal "Food & Function," titled "Distinct Fermentation of human milk oligosaccharides 3-Fucosyllactose (3-FL) and Lacto-N-trioseⅡ (LNTⅡ) and GOS/Inulin by Infant Gut Microbiota and Impact on Adhesion of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 to Gut Epithelial Cells," indicates that Lacto-N-trioseⅡ is more readily fermented than 3-Fucosyllactose. This fermentation process enhances the adhesion of gut epithelial cells and produces succinic acid while increasing short-chain fatty acid yields, which not only supports the colonization of beneficial bacteria but can also reduce the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, in the human gut. The article also points out that Lacto-N-trioseⅡ has a stronger beneficial effect than 2’-Fucosyllactose on humans by enhancing the adhesion of commensal bacteria to gut epithelium, reducing inflammation, and strengthening gut epithelial barrier functions.

As research on human milk oligosaccharides continues to deepen, it is believed that their fields of application will become even more broadly explored and developed.