Disialylactose—the star breast milk oligosaccharide that empowers immune regulation CAS number: 18409-15-9

Disialyllactose (DSL) is a precious gift from nature and one of the most important and powerful sialylated oligosaccharides in breast milk. As one of the core members with the richest sialic acid content in human breast milk oligosaccharides, DSL is not only a key component of early neonatal nutrition, but also plays an irreplaceable role in immune system development, cognitive function establishment and intestinal health maintenance. Nowadays, with the advancement of synthetic biology and nutritional science, the large-scale production of high-purity disialylactose has become a reality, providing revolutionary core raw materials for the development of high-end infant formula foods, functional nutrition products and innovative biological therapies.

Chemical Information

Chemical name: Disialylactose; Disialylactose sodium salt; Disialylactose (disialylactose) (sodium salt)

Common name: Disialyllactose

English name: Disialyllactose

Chemical formula: C34H56N2O27

Molecular weight: 924.81 g/mol

CAS number: 18409-15-9

Structural features

The structural essence of disialylactose lies in its complex sugar chain modification, which determines its unique biological activity:

Core skeleton and dual modification: Lactose (galactose-β(1→4)-glucose) is used as the core skeleton, and two sialic acid molecules are connected through α-glycosidic bonds at two key sites (usually located on the galactosyl group of lactose or the adjacent N-acetyllactosamine structure). This "double sialylation" is the structural basis of its biological activity.

Strong negative charge and spatial conformation: Each sialic acid molecule carries a carboxyl group, giving the DSL molecule a dense negative charge. This charge characteristic not only affects its physical and chemical properties (such as solubility, viscosity), but more importantly, determines the specificity and affinity of its interaction with various biological molecules (such as receptors, pathogens, immune factors).

Sialic acid linkage diversity: Isomers may exist in the position and manner of linking sialic acid residues (such as α-2,3 or α-2,6 linkage). This small structural difference directly affects its functional specificity, such as the ability to bind to specific pathogens or cellular receptors.

Main applications and advantages

Gold standard ingredients for high-end infant and young child nutrition

Simulate breast milk to achieve a nutritional leap: Breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition. DSL is abundant in breast milk, especially colostrum. Adding high-purity DSL to infant formula is a key strategy to make its nutritional content closer to breast milk and support optimal growth and development of infants, especially for infants who cannot achieve exclusive breastfeeding.

Promote brain and cognitive development: Sialic acid is an important component of gangliosides and glycoproteins and plays a central role in the growth of brain nerve cells, synapse formation and neural network construction. As a directly available source of sialic acid, DSL provides essential "building materials" for babies' rapidly developing brains, helping to support long-term cognitive and learning development.

Regulate intestinal health and bacterial colonization: As a high-quality prebiotic, DSL can selectively promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria (such as bifidobacteria) in the intestine and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. Its structure can serve as a "bait" receptor to block the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria (such as certain Escherichia coli and Campylobacter) to intestinal epithelial cells, thereby effectively preventing infectious diarrhea and maintaining a healthy intestinal microecological barrier.

Powerful immune regulation and anti-infection functions

Immune system "trainer": DSL can gently regulate the baby's immune response, helping its immune system learn to distinguish between friend and foe in the early stages of development, and avoid overreaction (such as allergies) or underreaction. It interacts with specific receptors on the surface of immune cells to affect the production of cytokines and promote the establishment of immune tolerance.

Direct anti-pathogen activity: As mentioned before, DSL can prevent a variety of viruses, bacteria and toxins from binding to host cells through steric hindrance and competitive binding, playing a direct "anti-adhesion" protective effect. It is the first line of chemical defense for infants against respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.

Potential molecules for cutting-edge biomedical research

Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine: Given the central role of sialic acid in the nervous system, DSL and its derivatives have shown potential application value in the fields of neurodegenerative disease research, nerve injury repair, and promotion of neural stem cell differentiation.

Anti-inflammatory and immunotherapeutic exploration: Its precise immunomodulatory properties make it a candidate molecule for novel intervention strategies in the study of autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, and more. As targeting ligands for drug delivery or bioactive ingredients themselves, DSLs have a place in innovative drug development.

Functional foods and special medical foods: Beyond infants and young children, DSL has broad prospects in elderly nutrition, postoperative rehabilitation, and nutritional support for people with low immunity. It can be used as a high-end functional ingredient to enhance immunity, improve cognition, and regulate the intestinal tract.

Conclusion

Disialylactose is no ordinary sugar molecule. It is a precision component programmed in early life and a biologically active messenger linking nutrition, immunity and development. From laying the first healthy cornerstone of life to opening up new possibilities in cutting-edge medicine, the value of DSL is being increasingly understood and explored.

The above information is provided by the editor of KASONS and is for scientific research only.