Neutral oligosaccharide content of preterm human milk

Human milk oligosaccharides are known to play a role in protection against certain infectious diseases. Previous reports indicate that the content of human milk oligosaccharides varies widely among individuals at term but suc h information on preterm milk is lacking. After removal of the fat, protein and most of the lactose from non-pooled human milk samples, a total neutra l oligosaccharide fraction was isolated by ion-exchange chromatography foll owed by gel filtration. A Dionex high-performance anion-exchange chromatogr aphy system equipped with a pulsed electrometric detector was then employed to measure the levels of ten neutral oligosaccharides in the individual mi lk samples. Twenty-three milk samples from thirteen mothers who delivered a t a mean gestational age of 29.5 (SD 3.1) weeks were collected between days 0 and 33 of lactation, and compared with three samples of ti:rm milk from two mothers. The ranges of the total and individual levels of the ten neutr al oligosaccharides in preterm milli were similar to those in term milk. Fu rther, as previously described in term milli, preterm milk exhibited a quan titative individual variation. This variation was independent of the gestat ional age, day of lactation, and postconceptional age. In conclusion, level s of ten neutral oligosaccharides did not differ between preterm and term h uman milk.