Abstract

There is now general consensus that breast-fed infants have a reduced incidence of infection and allergic oratopic disease compared with infants fed formula, indicating a major impact of breastfeeding on immune system development. How milk accomplishes the remarkable role of guiding the emergence of beneficial gut microbiota in infantsis a target of intensive research. Answering this question could lead to formulation of dietary products that establish andmaintain a protective microbiota, not only in infants, but also in the population at large. Bovine milk is potentially anexcellent source of complex oligosaccharides for human nutrition. More studies are needed to unravel the numerous potential biological activities and mechanisms of bovine milk oligosaccharides that can be generated by the dairy industry.