Species-specific N-glycan patterns in animal and human breast milk samples.

ABSTRACT: The main components of milk are protein, fat and carbohydrates. Glycans are complex carbohydrate structures covalently bound to proteins and lipids or exist freely in solutions. The function of glycans in nature is to contribute to structure, energy metabolism and encoding relevant biological information. In this study we have analyzed the content of sialic acids. Moreover, we assigned and compared the N-glycan profile of the milk casein and whey fraction from humans, infant formula, cows, horses, goats, and sheep. Conservation of terminal sialic acids on the glycan structures was achieved by stabilization via methylamidation. Human breast milk exhibitsa unique glycan profile, characterized byhighly fucosylated N-glycans and is rich in N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), while N-glycolylneur

SUBMITTER: Ret D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12518109 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature