• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.631-640
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• 2011

Milk oligosaccharides are the complex mixture of six monosaccharides namely, D-glucose, D-galactose, N-acetyl-glucosamine, N-acetyl-galactosamine, L-fucose, and N-acetyl-neuraminic acid. The mixture is categorized as neutral and acidic classes. Previously, 25 oligosaccharides in bovine milk and 115 oligosaccharides in human milk have been characterized. Because human intestine lacks the enzyme to hydrolyze the oligosaccharide structures, these substances can reach the colon without degradation and are known to have many health beneficial functions. It has been shown that this fraction of carbohydrate can increase the bifidobacterial population in the intestine and colon, resulting in a significant reduction of pathogenic bacteria. The role of milk oligosaccharides as a barrier against pathogens binding to the cell surface has recently been demonstrated. Milk oligosaccharides have the potential to produce immuno-modulation effects. It is also well known that oligosaccharides in milk have a significant influence on intestinal mineral absorption and in the formation of the brain and central nervous system. Due to its structural resemblance, bovine milk is considered to be the most potential source of oligosaccharides to produce the same effect of oligosaccharides present in human milk. This review describes the characteristics and potential health benefits of milk oligosaccharides as well as the prospects of oligosaccharides in bovine milk for use in functional foods.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2014

Recently, infant formula products made of caprine milk have gained popularity, mainly because the nutritional composition of caprine milk is similar to that of human milk. In addition, caprine milk is considered to be better than bovine milk in terms of nutrient composition and easier digestion. Compared to bovine milk, caprine milk contains more ${\beta}$-casein, but less ${\alpha}$S1-casein. While the lactose concentration of both bovine and caprine milk is almost the same, a content of total oligosaccharides in caprine milk was approximately five to eight times higher than that in bovine milk. However, as the dairy goat industry in Korea is in a nascent stage of milk production and further processing, many nutritional advantages of caprine milk over bovine milk are not fully conveyed to general consumers. It is recommended that scientific research regarding the nutritional benefits of caprine milk needs to be conducted urgently, owing to the increasing domestic sales of infant formula products made of caprine milk.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2015

In recent years, the knowledge about bifidobacteria has considerably evolved thanks to recent progress in molecular biology. The analysis of the whole genome sequences of 48 taxa of bifidobacteria offers new perspectives for their classification, especially to set up limit between two species. Indeed, several species are presenting a high homology and should be reclassified. On the other hand, some subspecies are presenting a low homology and should therefore be reclassified into different species. In addition, a better knowledge of the genome of bifidobacteria allows a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in complex carbohydrate metabolism. The genome of some species of bifidobacteria from human but also from animal origin demonstrates high presence in genes involved in the metabolism of complex oligosaccharides. Those species should be further tested to confirm their potential to metabolize complex oligosaccharides in vitro and in vivo.