Human Milk Oligosaccharide Composition for Gut Barrier Maturation

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for nutritional compositions that effectively improve the gastrointestinal barrier in infants and young children, particularly in vulnerable populations such as preterm infants and low birth weight infants, without the side effects and complexity of pharmaceutical interventions, and at an affordable cost.

Innovation Solution

A nutritional composition comprising 2′-Fucosyllactose (2′FL), Di-fucosyllactose (DiFL), Lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), Lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), and 3′-Sialyllactose (3′SL) and 6′-Sialyllactose (6′SL) is used to enhance gastrointestinal barrier maturation, structure, function, and protection, reducing permeability and disease susceptibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If pharmaceutical interventions are used to improve gastrointestinal barrier, then the effectiveness may be improved, but side effects and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveeffectivenessVSAvoidside effects

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses nutritional compositions with short-chain oligosaccharides that are naturally degraded and excreted, replacing pharmaceutical interventions with a safe, temporary nutritional approach that achieves gastrointestinal barrier improvement without long-term side effects or complex drug administration protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces oligosaccharides as intermediary substances that mediate between the diet and the gastrointestinal barrier, acting as a bridge to improve barrier function through nutritional modulation rather than direct pharmaceutical action, thereby avoiding drug-related side effects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If complex nutritional compositions are used to improve gastrointestinal barrier, then the effectiveness may be improved, but the cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveeffectivenessVSAvoidcomposition complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates specific short-chain oligosaccharides (2'-FL, Di-FL, LNT, LNnT, 3'-SL, 6'-SL) from complex human milk compositions, creating a simplified but effective nutritional formulation that maintains gastrointestinal barrier improvement benefits while reducing overall composition complexity and manufacturing cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the complex mixture of oligosaccharides found in human milk into discrete, individually characterized short-chain oligosaccharide components, allowing for precise formulation control, simplified manufacturing, and reduced complexity while preserving the synergistic effects needed for gastrointestinal barrier improvement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12589106B2Nutritional composition comprising a combination of human milk oligosaccharides to improve the gastrointestinal barrier

Publication Date: 2026.03.31 SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE SA

AI summary

The present invention relates to nutritional compositions comprising 2′-Fucosyllactose (2′FL), Di-fucosyllactose (DiFL), Lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), Lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), 3′-Sialyllactose (3′SL) and 6′-Sialyllactose (6′SL) for use in improving gastrointestinal barrier. In particular, the present invention relates to improving the gastrointestinal barrier in an infant, a young child or children aged above 3 years to 8 years.