Gut bacteria discovery in infants

In collaboration with researchers from Broad Institute in the US, the University of Bologna in Italy and the icddr.b in Bangladesh, Nestlé scientists have discovered a gut bacteria prevalent in the transition from infancy to early childhood.

Published in scientific journal Cell, this discovery contributes to the understanding of the infant gut microbiome and its evolution during development. This research will help to enable the identification of the next generation of nutritional solutions and probiotics to support growth and development in children.

The study followed 267 infants in Bangladesh from birth up to two years of age. Most mothers chose to exclusively breastfeed their infants up to six months, followed by a weaning process which introduced solid foods in combination with breastmilk. This period sees the immune system introduced to many new environmental signals from food and bacteria and is important to immune development.

The scientists discovered novel strains of Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum), a bacterium typically found in a healthy gut. It was most prominent during the initial stages of weaning, where infants are able to use both key components of breastmilk and fibres from solid food.

“This discovery opens new possibilities for developing the next generation of nutritional solutions that can help to maintain or restore a diverse and fully functional gut microbiome in infants,” said Isabelle Bureau-Franz, Head of Nestlé Research. “This can be obtained either through boosting beneficial gut microbes by feeding them with optimal nutrients or by supplementing with probiotics. This is especially important for the weaning phase, as no specific solutions exist, and this is a key period for shaping the gut ecosystem and immune health, with potential long-term impact.”

Distinct from other beneficial B. longum strains, including B. longum infantis, which is most prominent in early infancy and exclusive to breastfeeding, the discovered strain may constitute a novel subspecies. Further research is ongoing.

The application of analytical methods provided critical insight on the metabolic activity of the novel B. longum and indicated an important role in overall gut ecology and metabolism.

Image caption: iStock.com/ImageSource