LC-MS/MS Analysis of Permethylated Free Oligosaccharides and N-glycans Released from Human Milk

摘要

Human milk is composed of carbohydrates, fat and protein to provide the infant with nutrients for growth. In addition, human milk contains several factors that help infants to defeat pathological microorganisms. Milk oligosaccharides, as the third largest solid components following lactose and lipids, are important as anti infectious agents. They stimulate growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, enhance the absorption of certain minerals, and stimulate immune system. Besides free oligosaccharides, recent proteomics studies have shown that milk proteins are extensively glycosylated, and these protein-bound glycans have been reported to act as decoys for pathogens. In our study, we quantified and determined the structures of N-glycans and free oligosaccharides in human milk to understand their biological attributes.