Pre-, pro-, syn-, and Postbiotics in Infant Formulas: What Are the Immune Benefits for Infants?

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 15; no. 5; p. 1231
• Main Authors: Lemoine, Anaïs, Tounian, Patrick, Adel-Patient, Karine, Thomas, Muriel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.02.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Allergies; Atopy; Babies; Baby foods; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Biomarkers; Breast Feeding; Breast milk; Breastfeeding & lactation; Cesarean section; Child; Clinical trials; Dermatitis; Feces; Female; Food allergies; Food and Nutrition; Food sources; Fructooligosaccharides; Galactooligosaccharides; Gastroenteritis; Gastrointestinal system; Health aspects; Health risks; Human health and pathology; Human nutrition; Humans; Immune system; immunity; Infant; Infant Formula; Infant formulas; Infant nutrition; Infant, Newborn; Infantile colic; Infants; Infections; Intestinal microflora; Lactobacilli; Life Sciences; Literature reviews; Maturation; Microbiology and Parasitology; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Milk; Milk, Human; Molecular biology; Neonates; Nutritional aspects; Oligosaccharides - pharmacology; Pathogens; Pediatric research; Physiological aspects; postbiotic; prebiotic; Prebiotics; probiotic; Probiotics; Review; synbiotic; Tissues and Organs; Vagina; France; United States > US; Europe; microbiota; probiotic; infant formula; atopy; postbiotic; immunity; prebiotic; synbiotic
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu15051231

The first objective of infant formulas is to ensure the healthy growth of neonates and infants, as the sole complete food source during the first months of life when a child cannot be breastfed. Beyond this nutritional aspect, infant nutrition companies also try to mimic breast milk in its unique immuno-modulating properties. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the intestinal microbiota under the influence of diet shapes the maturation of the immune system and influences the risk of atopic diseases in infants. A new challenge for dairy industries is, therefore, to develop infant formulas inducing the maturation of immunity and the microbiota that can be observed in breastfed delivered vaginally, representing reference infants. , DSM 17938, (BC50), Bb12, (CECT5716), and GG (LGG) are some of the probiotics added to infant formula, according to a literature review of the past 10 years. The most frequently used prebiotics in published clinical trials are fructo-oligosaccharides (FOSs), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOSs), and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). This review sums up the expected benefits and effects for infants of pre-, pro-, syn-, and postbiotics added to infant formula regarding the microbiota, immunity, and allergies.