Epigenetics of maternal milk

Journal title PNEI REVIEW
Author/s Eleonora Lombardi Mistura
Publishing Year 2023 Issue 2023/1
Language Italian Pages 18 P. 35-52 File size 1209 KB
DOI 10.3280/PNEI2023-001003
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Breast milk is recognized by the most important scientific societies as an extremely beneficial food for the child and the nurse both in the short and long term and exclu- sive breastfeeding is recommended by them for at least the first six months of life. If the short-term benefits can be traced back to the direct action of substances (nutrients and otherwise) present in breast milk, the long-term ones have more complex roots of an epigenetic nature, The mechanisms through which breastfeeding acts epige- netically are essentially three; activation of enzymes that produce the tags, activation of nuclear receptors, production of epigenetically active metabolites by the microbio- ta. The discovery of maternal milk exosomes containing different microRNAs from woman to woman is recent. These exosomes have the power to cross the intestinal epithelium and arrive intact, with their information load, to all the infant’s organs. The MOM (Milk Oriented Microbiota) contributes to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) capable of influencing the "epigenetic program" of the infant.

Keywords: Epigenetics, Maternal milk, Signatures, Exosomes, miRNA, Microbiota

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Eleonora Lombardi Mistura, Epigenetica del latte materno in "PNEI REVIEW" 1/2023, pp 35-52, DOI: 10.3280/PNEI2023-001003