Human milk oligosaccharide secretion dynamics during breastfeeding and its antimicrobial role: A systematic review

Table 8 Natural vs synthetic human milk oligosaccharides: Key comparisons

Feature	Natural HMOs	Synthetic HMOs
Source	Human breast milk	Biotechnological production
Structural diversity	Over 200 distinct HMOs	Limited to a few key HMOs (approximately 15 synthetic HMOs)
Customizability	Adaptive to maternal and infant factors	Fixed composition in formula.
Microbiota interactions	Broad spectrum of microbial benefits	Focused on Bifidobacteria support
Pathogen defense	Multifaceted, including sialylated HMOs	Limited to fucosylated HMOs
Immune modulation	Complex systemic and local effects	Under investigation
Accessibility	Breastfed infants only	Available in formula-fed populations

2′-FL: 2'-Fucosyllactose; HMOs: Human milk oligosaccharides.