Fucosyllactose as breast milk identical non-digestible oligosaccharide with new functional benefit

Abstract

The invention concerns nutritional compositions with fucosyllactose for use in stimulation of NK cells. The composition is suitable for infants.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of stimulating natural killer (NK) cell activity and/or NK cell proliferation, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an enteral composition comprising fucosyllactose, wherein the composition is not human milk. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein subject is an infant, a HIV patient, an elderly person and/or an oncology patient. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the subject is an infant. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one of beta-galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and uronic acid oligosaccharides. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fucosyllactose is 2′-fucosyllactose. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises 0.07 to 1 wt % fucosyllactose, based on dry weight of the composition. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the composition comprises 0.07 to 1 wt % 2′-fucosyllactose based on dry weight of the composition. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises 5 to 50% protein, 15 to 85% digestible carbohydrates and 5 to 50% fat based on total energy.