Bile acids in breast milk as determinants of intestinal microbiota development in infants

• Grant number: 24/07075-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Metabolism and Bioenergetics
• Principal Investigator: Jarlei Fiamoncini
• Grantee: Guilherme Noronha Hernandez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/02941-6 - Bile acids as determinants of postprandial metabolism and intestinal microbial colonization in newborns, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

Breast milk is essential for the establishment of intestinal microbiota in infants, as it contains microorganisms and bioactive compounds with prebiotic action. Bile acids (BAs) are amphiphilic compounds with antimicrobial activity. Although the presence of these compounds in breast milk was described in the 1980s, their relationship with the development of newborns' intestinal microbiota has not yet been evaluated. Considering the high interindividual variability of BAs in plasma, it is plausible to consider that the concentration of BAs in breast milk also has high variability. If this hypothesis is confirmed, newborns born to different mothers would be exposed to different concentrations of BAs during breastfeeding. This proposal aims to investigate the relationship between the presence of BAs in breast milk and the establishment of intestinal microbiota through two studies: 1) The first study aims to assess interindividual variability and the relationship between BA concentration in plasma and breast milk. 2) The second study will assess the relationship between the presence of BAs in breast milk and the composition of newborns' intestinal microbiota. To achieve this, samples of breast milk and plasma from biobanks will be used, and a clinical study will be conducted with pairs of mothers and babies for the collection and analysis of breast milk, blood, and fecal samples. This project is innovative and can contribute to understanding how breast milk influences infant development. (AU)