Oligo- and Mono-saccharides - More than just an Efficient Source of Energy

Sugars - also referred to as oligo- and mono-saccharides - fulfill a multitude of vital functions in the human body. The most commonly known function of sugar is to supply the organism with the required energy. Beside the function of energy supply, which is generally accomplished by widely known molecules such as fructose and saccharose, it is known today that specific sugar-structures accomplish further vital function in the human body. For example, it has been shown that the health-protecting function of human mother milk can be attributed to specific complex sugar molecules.




Fucosyllactose - The Natural Protection Against Infectious Diseases

Human breast milk is the perfect food for infants not only because of its optimal nutritional value for babies, but also because of ingredients that have special biological functionalities. Like fat and proteins, saccharides represent one of the major components of human milk. In addition to the milk saccharide lactose - which serves primarily as a source of energy - one liter of human breast milk also contains about 7-12 g of human milk oligosaccharides (HMO). These HMOs are complex sugar molecules that are mostly specific to human beings.

Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH has developed a process for the production of the human milk oligosaccharide Fucosyllactose that allows for large-scale production of the saccharide and thus its use as a food ingredient. Fucosyllactose, a major constituent of the HMO-group, has an important function in the immune defense of infants. Extensive research shows that a higher concentration of Fucosyllactose in human milk significantly lowers infants' risk of infection. According to the latest scientific findings, intake of Fucosyllactose not only considerably reduces the risk of diarrhea - globally one of the most prevalent causes of death of infants and small children - but also the risk of further viral and bacterial infection. It is important to note that scientific studies have shown that infections during the early growth stage retard the development of an infant. Furthermore, it is assumed that infections in the early growth stage of an infant may have long-lasting effects on the child's development.



The innovation by Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH allows the inclusion of these complex oligosaccharides in infant food, so that babies that are not breastfed can also take advantage of the beneficial effects of these sugar molecules. Up until now, infant food has not contained Fucosyllactose at all, and babies that have not been breastfed have therefore not received additional protection against viral and bacterial infection. Additionally, the health-protecting effect of Fucosyllactose is not limited to infants. If Fucosyllactose is included as a food ingredient in further food products such as dairy, cereals, and drinks, a vast number of consumers will be able to take advantage of the health-promoting effects of Fucosyllactose.

Because Fucosyllactose of Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH is a natural aliment and not a pharmaceutical, it can be used and consumed as a food ingredient without any restrictions. Moreover, because the human organism cannot split the oligosaccharide into its constituents, L-Fucose and Lactose, the human body cannot metabolize Fucosyllactose. Consequently, the consumption of Fucosyllactose does not entail any caloric intake. Thus, Fucosyllactose merely fulfills an immune defense function and supports the proliferation of adjuvant intestinal bacteria.

Mode of Action of Fucosyllactose

Fucosyllactose, which is dissolved in human breast-milk, is similar to the sugars present on the surface of human cells. These surface-bound sugars play an extremely important role in the interaction of cells with their environment. Today, it is assumed that a multitude of human germs, such as the pathogenic E. coli or cholera bacteria, use these saccharide molecules to connect to and thus infect human cells. In addition, infection with salmonella, Haemophilus influenza or noroviruses happens through the binding of these pathogens onto the sugar molecules present on the surface of the human intestinal mucosa. It has been shown that many toxins use the same mode of action, invading the human organism via cell membrane-bound sugars.




In particular, for infants and small children whose immune systems are not fully developed, bacterial and viral infection represents a considerable risk. Breastfed babies benefit from a natural protection mechanism. The Fucosyllactose in the human milk is structurally identical to the surface-bound sugars that are used by the pathogens to infect the human body, so that pathogens connect to the Fucosyllactose instead of binding to human cells. Once a pathogen or toxin has bound to a Fucosyllactose molecule, the molecule is eliminated by the human organism without the latter's being infected (see graph).

A positive side effect of the mode of action of Fucosyllactose is that pathogenic germs cannot develop resistance to the molecule. A modification of the interaction between the germ and the human cell would result in a loss of pathogenicity and human specificity.


Prebiotic Effect of Fucosyllactose

In addition to the direct function of Fucosyllactose in protecting the human body against bacterial and viral infection, HMOs like Fucosyllactose also show a positive effect on intestinal flora. This "pre-biotic" effect is based on the selective support of adjuvant intestinal bacteria such as bifidobacteria or lactobacilli, for instance. These bacteria are able to split Fucosyllactose into its constituent parts and use these in their metabolism. Studies have proven that breastfed infants enjoy a considerably higher concentration of bifidobacteria in the intestinal tract than bottle-fed children do, and that this effect is linked to the intake of Fucosyllactose. The intestinal flora has a considerable influence on the health of the overall organism, and particularly on the strengthening of the immune defense and nutritive resorption.


The Innovation of Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH

Although the positive characteristics of Fucosyllactose - the reduction of the risk of infection as well as its prebiotic effect - are known for a long time and are scientifically well investigated, it has not been possible to produce these complex sugar molecules, so far. Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH is the first to have succeeded in establishing a production process capable of producing Fucosyllacotse (2'- and 3-Fucosyllactose) at reasonable cost. The innovation of Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH thus allows now to exploit the benefits associated with the intake of Fucosyllactose for the benefit of the consumer.

The innovation by Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH is a novel production process allowing for a large-scale production of the oligosaccharide, long considered to be available only from human breast milk. The Fucosyllactose produced by Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH is a natural product and the molecule is alike in every aspect to its natural counterpart found in human milk. Moreover, due to the extensive research it can be said that there are no known nor expected adverse effects associated with the intake of Fucosyllactose - a sugar-molecule as old as human mankind and already consumed by most humans.

The aim of Jennewein Biotechnology GmbH is the production of Fucosyllactose in volume at reasonable cost so as to allow its use as food ingredient in breast-milk substitutes and complementary infant food with a concentration of the molecule identical to that found in human milk. However, the use of Fucosyllactose is not limited to infant food and thus its use in further food products and beverages looks very promising. The use of the Fucosyllactose of Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH would significantly reduce the risk bacterial and viral infection of the consumers and thus considerably contribute to the wellbeing of these persons.


Field of Applications of Fucosyllactose

Fucosyllactose of Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH qualifies as food ingredient. Due to the natural occurrence in human breast milk, the use of Fucosyllactose in breast-milk substitute and complementary infant food products is the most obvious. Moreover, the sugar-molecules can also be used in further fields of such as yoghurt and dairy-drinks, cereals, sweets and beverages. The field of use of Fucosyllactose as food ingredient seems almost inexhaustible.

If you wish further information about the product Fucosyllactose of Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH and its characteristics as well as fields of application, please do not hesitate to get in contact. (info@jennewein-biotech.de)