Milk Oligosaccharide Variation in Sow Milk and Milk Oligosaccharide Fermentation in Piglet Intestine

Porcine milk oligosaccharides (PMOs) were analyzed in six colostrum and two mature milk samples from Dutch Landrace sows. In total, 35 PMOs were recognized of which 13 were new for the PMO literature: neutral HexNAc-Hex, β4'-galactosyllactose, putative GalNAc(α/β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, lacto-N-fucopentaose-II, lacto-N-tetraose, galactose substituted lacto-N-neohexaose, lacto-N-hexaose and difucosyl-lacto-N-hexaose, and acidic Neu5Ac(α2-6)GlcNAc(β1-3)Gal(β1-4)Glc, sialyllacto-N-tetraose-a and -b, Neu5Ac2-Hex3, and sialyllacto-N-fucopentaose-II. PMOs were analyzed using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced florescence detection or mass spectrometry and using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Interindividual variation regarding PMO presence and concentration was observed between porcine milks. Within a limited sample set, a 43% decrease of the major PMOs was found during a 1 w lactation period. Interestingly, while some PMOs decreased, some other PMOs increased in concentration. PMOs were also monitored in fecal samples of suckling piglets. In feces of 1-2 d old piglets, few intact PMOs were found, indicating considerable PMO fermentation at early stage of life.