Breastfeeding and infant gut microbiota: influence of bioactive components

Abstract

Establishment of the gut microbiota during infancy is critical for host health with long-lasting implications. In this orchestrated process, microbial assembly is influenced by an increasing number of genetic and environmental factors, among which breastfeeding is considered as one of the most significant drivers for infant gut microbiota development. As the optimal diet for the infants, maternal milk provides numerous nutritional, microbial, and bioactive components to ensure the most adequate microbial growth and development of a ‘healthy’ gut microbiota during early life. This review will summarize the available evidence, particularly the recent progress, on how various bioactive compounds supplied in maternal milk affect the establishment of early-life gut microbiota during infancy and promote further interest and investigation in this important area.