Non-digestible Oligosaccharides for Infant Immune Programming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current maternal diets during breastfeeding have limited impact on long-term immune system development and allergy prevention in infants, with existing supplements failing to provide sustained benefits beyond breastfeeding age.

Innovation Solution

Administration of a non-digestible oligosaccharide composition to lactating mothers, comprising galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, and acidic oligosaccharides, which enhances the infant's immune system and reduces allergic reactions, providing long-term benefits even after weaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional maternal diets and supplements are used during breastfeeding, then basic nutritional needs are met, but long-term immune system development and allergy prevention in infants are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmune system enhancementVSAvoidduration of benefit
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by administering non-digestible oligosaccharides to the mother during breastfeeding, which programs the infant's immune system in advance. This early intervention during the breastfeeding period creates long-lasting immune effects that persist well after weaning, resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable immune enhancement and maintaining duration of benefit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If maternal supplementation is provided during breastfeeding, then immune-related benefits such as decreased allergic reactions are achieved, but existing supplements fail to provide sustained benefits beyond breastfeeding age

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveallergic reactionsVSAvoidduration of protective effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses preliminary action by implementing immune programming during the critical breastfeeding window. The non-digestible oligosaccharides administered to the mother during this period establish lasting immune responses in the infant that extend far beyond the breastfeeding period, overcoming the limitation of transient protective effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by using specific non-digestible oligosaccharides (such as GOS, FOS, and their derivatives) that differ from conventional supplements. These specific oligosaccharide compositions modify the immune programming parameters to achieve both immediate allergy reduction during breastfeeding and sustained protective effects into childhood and adolescence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3075383A1Maternal supplement to enhance immune system of an infant
Publication Date: 2016.10.05 NV NUTRICIA
  • EP3075383A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3075383A1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4C
  • EP3075383A1 patent drawing

AI summary

There is provided compositions and methods for enhancing an immune system and/or preventing an immune system related disorder in a mammalian subject, the composition comprising a non-digestible oligosaccharide which is to be administered to a female who is breast-feeding the mammalian subject.