Gangliosides are glycosphingolipis that are widely distributed in vertebrat
e tissues and body fluids and which are specially abundant in neural tissue
s. Milk from different species has a particular ganglioside content and pro
file. Human milk has a higher content of gangliosides than bovine milk. GD,
and GM, are the predominant individual gangliosides in bovine milk. In hum
an colostrum GD, is also the main ganglioside whereas in human mature milk
GM, predominates over the other gangliosides. Human mirk also contains GM,
and a number of highly polar gangliosides, which may play an important role
in infant physiology. GM, has been shown to inhibit Escherichia coli and V
ibrio cholerae enterotoxins. We have found that a ganglioside-supplemented
infant formula modifies the intestinal ecology of preterm newborns, increas
ing the Bifidobacteria content and lowering that of Escherichia coli, Altho
ugh the exact mechanism by which dietary gangliosides reduce the fecal cont
ent of Escherichia coli is unknown, in vitro experiments suggest that they
may act as false intestinal receptors for some strains of this bacteria. Si
nce GD, and other gangliosides have been involved in mechanisms of lymphocy
te activation and differentiation, dietary gangliosides might have a functi
on in intestinal immunity development. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Lt
d. All rights reserved.