Table 12.

Effect of enteral feeding interventions that affect digestion and absorption in experimental animal models of NEC.

Enteral Feeding Intervention	Effect on Digestion and Absorption (Compared to NEC Protocol Exposure without Feeding Intervention)
Carbohydrate/sugar-based interventions
Gangliosides	Intestinal enzyme activity small intestine = [100] Intestinal hexose absorption (galactose lactose absorption test) = [100]
SL	Intestinal enzyme activity small intestine = [100] Intestinal hexose absorption (galactose lactose absorption test) = [100]
HMO mixture of four components	Intestinal hexose absorption (galactose lactose absorption test) = [134] Intestinal enzyme activity small intestine = [134] Colonic butyric acid (protein) ↑ [134] Small intestinal sucrase (mRNA) = [134] Small intestinal lactase (mRNA) = [134] Small intestinal alkaline phosphatase (mRNA) = [134] small intestinal SGLT1 (mRNA) = [134]
HMO mixture >25 components	Intestinal hexose absorption (galactose lactose absorption test) = [134] Distal small intestinal lactase enzyme activity ↑ [134] Distal small intestinal aminopeptidase A enzyme activity ↑ [134] Distal small intestinal aminopeptidase N enzyme activity ↑ [134] Distal small intestinal dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme activity ↑ [134]
2′-FL	Galactose absorptive capacity = (galactose mannitol absorption test) [133] Proximal/middle/distal small intestinal enzyme activity (sucrose, maltase, lactase, ApN, ApA, DPPIV) = [133] Colon small intestinal enzyme activity (sucrose, maltase, lactase, ApN, ApA, DPPIV) = [133]
Protein/amino acid-based interventions
OPN	Intestinal enzyme activity small intestine = [100,129] Intestinal hexose absorption (galactose lactose absorption test) = [100,129]
bovine lactoferrin	Small intestine enzyme activity = [35] Intestinal hexose absorption (galactose lactose absorption test) = [35]
CGMP	Middle small intestinal lactase enzyme activity ↑ [129] Proximal small intestinal lactase enzyme activity = [129] Distal small intestinal lactase enzyme activity = [129] Intestinal hexose absorption (galactose lactose absorption test) = [129]
Probiotic interventions
Probiotic mixture (Bifidobacterium animalis DSM15954, Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM13241, Lactobacillus casei ATCC55544, Lactobacillus pentosus DSM14025 and Lactobacillus plantarum DSM13367)	Distal small intestinal lactase enzyme activity = [77] Distal small intestinal maltase enzyme activity = [77] Distal small intestinal ApA enzyme activity ↑ [77] Distal small intestinal ApN enzyme activity ↑ [77]
Other interventions
Amniotic fluid	Proximal small intestine maltase enzyme activity ↑ [123] Middle small intestinal maltase enzyme activity ↑ [123]

↑ depicts an increase, ↓ depicts a decrease; SL, sialic acids; HMO, human milk oligosaccharides; 2′-FL, 2′-fucosyllactose; OPN, osteopontin; CGMP, caseinoglycomacropeptide.