Human milk permeate compositions and methods of making and using same

Abstract

This disclosure features human milk permeates and compositions containing the same obtained from fractionated whole human milk. The oligosaccharide rich permeate and permeate compositions of the present invention are useful as nutritional supplements for pre-term and full term infants, for establishing or maintaining gut flora and for treating the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of establishing or maintaining beneficial gut flora in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject a concentrated human milk permeate composition comprising human milk oligosaccharides. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the concentrated human milk permeate composition comprising human milk oligosaccharides is administered to the subject prior to concurrently with or following administration of an additional composition useful in establishing beneficial gut flora. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the additional composition useful in establishing beneficial gut flora is a probiotic composition or a composition comprising plant polysaccharides. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the beneficial gut flora comprise bifidobacteria, lactobacteria or both. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subject is an infant, child or adult. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the infant is a preterm infant or a full term infant. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the concentrated human milk permeate composition comprising human milk oligosaccharides is administered orally. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the concentrated human milk permeate composition comprising human milk oligosaccharides is administered orally via feeding tube. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subject in need thereof has irritable bowel disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, collagenous colitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, or pseudomembranous colitis. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the concentrated human milk permeate composition comprising human milk oligosaccharides is produced from a pool of human milk. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the concentrated human milk permeate composition comprising human milk oligosaccharides is pasteurized.