Impact of the Maternal Exposome and Bank Conservation Techniques on the Immune Composition of Breast Milk and Its Consequences for Infant Health
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: immunonutrition; flavonoids; microbiota; oligosaccharides; probiotics; breast milk; immune programming
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: childhood obesity; children; dietary intervention; nutrition; metabolism; neonatal sepsis; breast milk
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Breast milk is a complex and dynamic biological fluid uniquely adapted to meet the nutritional and immunological needs of the infant, especially during early life. Beyond providing essential nutrients, it contains a wide range of immunological components, including antibodies (particularly secretory IgA), immune cells, microbial cells, cytokines, antimicrobial proteins such as lactoferrin and lysozyme, human milk oligosaccharides, and bioactive metabolites that collectively support immune and microbial baby’s maturation and protection against infections. These components help shape the infant’s gut microbiota, strengthen the intestinal barrier, and modulate inflammatory and allergic responses. These components can be modulated by diferent factors from the maternal exposome such as the diet, among others.
In addition, for infants who cannot be breastfed directly, human milk banks play a crucial role in ensuring access to donor milk. However, the processing methods used, particularly pasteurization and storage, can affect the integrity and bioactivity of immunological components.
Therefore, the nutritional research directions of this Special Issue include the following:
- Studies showing the impact of the maternal exposome, especially diet, on the immune components of breast milk and on infant’s development.
- Strategies aiming to prevent disease in children through maternal dietary modulation of the breast milk immune composition.
- New methodologies to improve and optimize the conservation of the immune composition of donated milk and its impact on infant health.
Prof. Dr. Francisco J. Pérez-Cano
Dr. Belén Pastor-Villaescusa
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- oligosaccharides
- IgA
- milk microbiota
- pasterurization
- HHPP
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