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Nutrients
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The Role of Breastfeeding: From Nutrition to Immunological Action
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The Role of Breastfeeding: From Nutrition to Immunological Action

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2022) | Viewed by 10252

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Cavaletto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Science and Technological Innovation, University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro, Novara, Italy
Interests: human milk; milk fat globule membrane protein; nutrition; metabolism; preterm milk; proteome; bioactive peptides; immunomodulatory properties

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The role of breastfeeding is extremely important for the newborn; the unique composition of human milk contributes to infant development, and alterations in human milk composition are responsible for future disorders in adulthood. Breast milk is perfect for the baby, from its nutritional components to its immunological activities. Macronutrients, micronutrients, and even microbiota are some of its specific features. Breastmilk composition changes from colostrum to mature milk, with some variations depending on the mother’s diet. Continuous efforts are focused on the search for the perfect infant formula, but at the same time, donor milk banking also needs to be improved.

Dr. Maria Cavaletto
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1120 KiB  
Article
Survival of Vaccine-Induced Human Milk SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IgA and SIgA Immunoglobulins across Simulated Human Infant Gastrointestinal Digestion
by Myrtani Pieri, Maria-Arsenia Maniori, Lucy Shahabian, Elie Kanaan, Irene Paphiti-Demetriou, Spyros Pipis, Kyriakos Felekkis, Vicky Nicolaidou and Christos Papaneophytou
Nutrients 2022, 14(16), 3368; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163368 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2631
Abstract
Breastfeeding can be a vital way of acquiring passive immunity via the transfer of antibodies from the mother to the breastfeeding infant. Recent evidence points to the fact that human milk contains immunoglobulins (Ig) against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, either after natural infection or [...] Read more.
Breastfeeding can be a vital way of acquiring passive immunity via the transfer of antibodies from the mother to the breastfeeding infant. Recent evidence points to the fact that human milk contains immunoglobulins (Ig) against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, either after natural infection or vaccination, but whether these antibodies can resist enzymatic degradation during digestion in the infant gastrointestinal (GI) tract or indeed protect the consumers remains inconclusive. Herein, we evaluated the levels of IgG, IgA, and secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in 43 lactating mothers who received at least two doses of either an mRNA-based vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna; n = 34) or an adenovirus-based vaccine (AstraZeneca; n = 9). We also accessed the potential persistence of SARS-CoV-2 IgA, IgG, and secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies from vaccinated women in the GI tract of the infants by means of a static in vitro digestion protocol. Our data depict that, although slightly reduced, the IgA antibodies produced after vaccination resist both the gastric and intestinal phases of infant digestion, whereas the IgGs are more prone to degradation in both phases of digestion. Additionally, SIgA antibodies were found to greatly resist the gastric phase of digestion albeit showing some reduction during the intestinal phase. The evaluation of the vaccine induced Ig profile of breastmilk, and the extent to which these antibodies can resist digestion in the infant GI tract provide important information about the potential protective role of this form of passive immunity that could help decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Breastfeeding: From Nutrition to Immunological Action)
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Review

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14 pages, 1401 KiB  
Review
The Immunological Role of Milk Fat Globule Membrane
by Maria Cavaletto, Annalisa Givonetti and Chiara Cattaneo
Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4574; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214574 - 31 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2640
Abstract
Human milk is the ideal food for newborns until the age of six months. Human milk can be defined as a dynamic living tissue, containing immunological molecules, such as immunoglobulins, supra-molecular structures, such as the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), and even entire [...] Read more.
Human milk is the ideal food for newborns until the age of six months. Human milk can be defined as a dynamic living tissue, containing immunological molecules, such as immunoglobulins, supra-molecular structures, such as the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), and even entire cells, such as the milk microbiota. The milk composition changes throughout lactation to fulfill the infant’s requirements and reflect the healthy/disease status of the lactating mother. Many bioactive milk components are either soluble or bound to the MFGM. In this work, we focus on the peculiar role of the MFGM components, from their structural organization in fat globules to their route into the gastrointestinal tract. Immunometabolic differences between human and bovine MFGM components are reported and the advantages of supplementing infant formula with the MFGM are highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Breastfeeding: From Nutrition to Immunological Action)
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20 pages, 1162 KiB  
Review
Intestinal ‘Infant-Type’ Bifidobacteria Mediate Immune System Development in the First 1000 Days of Life
by Chunxiu Lin, Yugui Lin, Heng Zhang, Gang Wang, Jianxin Zhao, Hao Zhang and Wei Chen
Nutrients 2022, 14(7), 1498; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071498 - 2 Apr 2022
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 4471
Abstract
Immune system maturation begins early in life, but few studies have examined how early-life gut microbiota colonization educates the neonatal immune system. Bifidobacteria predominate in the intestines of breastfed infants and metabolize human milk oligosaccharides. This glycolytic activity alters the intestinal microenvironment and [...] Read more.
Immune system maturation begins early in life, but few studies have examined how early-life gut microbiota colonization educates the neonatal immune system. Bifidobacteria predominate in the intestines of breastfed infants and metabolize human milk oligosaccharides. This glycolytic activity alters the intestinal microenvironment and consequently stimulates immune system maturation at the neonatal stage. However, few studies have provided mechanistic insights into the contribution of ‘infant-type’ Bifidobacterium species, especially via metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids. In this review, we highlight the first 1000 days of life, which provide a window of opportunity for infant-type bifidobacteria to educate the neonatal immune system. Furthermore, we discuss the instrumental role of infant-type bifidobacteria in the education of the neonatal immune system by inducing immune tolerance and suppressing intestinal inflammation, and the potential underlying mechanism of this immune effect in the first 1000 days of life. We also summarize recent research that suggests the administration of infant-type bifidobacteria helps to modify the intestinal microecology and prevent the progress of immune-mediated disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Breastfeeding: From Nutrition to Immunological Action)
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