Ewes' milk: changes in the contents of gangliosides and sialic acid during lactation

Sialic acids as link to Japanese scientists

This manuscript is dedicated to Prof. Tamio Yamakawa and describes my cooperations on sialic acid-related topics with Japanese scientists during the last 40 years. We studied sialic acids and their O-acetylated derivatives in the sea urchin Pseudocentrotus depressus, in Halocynthia species, and in human and bovine milk. In seafood we mainly searched for N-glycolylneuraminic acid. With synthetic substrates it was shown that sialic acid O-acetylation at C-4 hinders the activity of sialidases, with the exception of viral enzymes. The biosynthesis of Neu5Gc was discussed and the distribution of this sialic acid in dogs followed in modern literature and reviewed regarding their migration. An excellent source of sialic acids is edible bird nest substance (Collocalia mucin) which was used for the synthesis of sialylation inhibitors.

Neutral glycosphingolipid content of ovine milk

Milk glycosphingolipids (GSL) have been reported to participate in the newborn's defense against pathogens. Taking this into account, in this study we determined the neutral GSL content of ovine milk, including its fatty acid profile. Its role in bacterial adhesion was also addressed by immunodetection of separate GSL in a high-performance thin-layer chromatography overlay assay. Ovine milk has a neutral GSL pattern similar to human milk and includes lactosylceramide (LacCer; 45.7%), monohexosylceramide (glucosylceramide and galactosylceramide, 31.2%), globotriaosylceramide (Gb3; 19.1%), and globotetraosylceramide (Gb4; 3.5%). Globotriaosylceramide and Gb4 are present in human but not bovine milk. Neutral GSL contained C23:0 and C24:0 as the most abundant fatty acids, a finding consistent with its high content of very long chain fatty acids (longer than C20). Most fatty acids were saturated and had a low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Bovine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains bound strongly to LacCer and showed a weak binding to monohexosylceramide. The K99 strain also bound strongly to Gb3, and F41 to Gb4. Lactosylceramide, monohexosylceramide, and Gb3 were also observed to bind to human uropathogenic E. coli strains. The results reported here show the ability of neutral GSL in ovine milk to bind to E. coli strains. These compounds could be used as an alternative and available source to supplement infant or bovine formulas with a view to preventing bacterial infections.

The role of dietary gangliosides on immunity and the prevention of infection

Gangliosides are acid glycosphingolipids widely distributed in most vertebrate tissues and fluids. They are present in mammalian milk, where they are almost exclusively associated with the membrane fraction of the fat globule. In human milk, the content and individual distribution of gangliosides changes during lactation, GD3being the most abundant ganglioside in colostrum, while in mature milk, GM3is the major individual species. Gangliosides function as “unintended” target receptors for bacterial adhesion in specific tissues. After oral administration, they can be putative decoys that interfere with pathogenic binding in the intestine, this being the main mechanism by which these compounds can prevent infection. Ganglioside-supplemented infant formula has been reported to modify the intestinal ecology of preterm newborns, increasing theBifidobacteriacontent and lowering that ofEscherichia coli. In addition, the influence of dietary gangliosides on several parameters related to the development of intestinal immune system, such as cytokine and intestinal IgA production, has also been described in animal models. Recently, the influence of GM3and GD3on dendritic cell maturation and effector functionalities has also been reported, suggesting a role for these milk gangliosides, especially GD3, in modulating the process of oral tolerance during first stages of life. In summary, dietary gangliosides may have an important role in the modification of intestinal microflora and the promotion of intestinal immunity development in the neonate, and consequently in the prevention of infections during early infancy.

Neonatal dietary gangliosides

Gangliosides are glycosphingolipids that are widely distributed in vertebrate tissues and body fluids and which are specially abundant in neural tissues. Milk from different species has a particular ganglioside content and profile. Human milk has a higher content of gangliosides than bovine milk. GD3 and GM3 are the predominant individual gangliosides in bovine milk. In human colostrum GD3 is also the main ganglioside whereas in human mature milk GM3 predominates over the other gangliosides. Human milk also contains GM1 and a number of highly polar gangliosides, which may play an important role in infant physiology. GM1 has been shown to inhibit Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae enterotoxins. We have found that a ganglioside-supplemented infant formula modifies the intestinal ecology of preterm newborns, increasing the Bifidobacteria content and lowering that of Escherichia coli. Although the exact mechanism by which dietary gangliosides reduce the fecal content of Escherichia coli is unknown, in vitro experiments suggest that they may act as false intestinal receptors for some strains of this bacteria. Since GD3 and other gangliosides have been involved in mechanisms of lymphocyte activation and differentiation, dietary gangliosides might have a function in intestinal immunity development.