TABLE 1.
Applications of breast milk components in NEC.
| Molecules in breast milk | Species | Outcomes | Year | References |
| Lactoferrin | Preterm infants | Reduces IL-6 and TNF-α expression, and upregulates Lgr5+ stem cell expression and epithelial proliferation. | 2020 | (14) |
| Lactoferrin | Low birth weight neonate | Decrease in IL-10 levels. | 2020 | (17) |
| Lactoferrin | Pig | Moderate doses (0.1–1 g/L) enhance cell proliferation and downregulate apoptosis and inflammation. High doses (10 g/L) trigger inflammation. | 2016 | (16) |
| Lactoferrin | Very low birth weight neonates | Reduces the incidence and death of > > stage 2 NEC. | 2014 | (18) |
| Lactoferrin | Preterm Infant | Reduces the incidence of NEC. | 2020 | (19) |
| Oligosaccharides | Mouse | HMOs, accelerate the turnover of crypt cells to protect intestinal epithelial cells from injury. | 2019 | (23) |
| DSLNT | Preterm infant | lowers NEC risk. | 2018 | (21) |
| Sialylated oligosaccharides | Rat | SHMOs reduce intestinal inflammation by inhibiting TLR4/NLRP3 pathway. | 2021 | (22) |
| Oligosaccharide | Pig | HMOs, reduce bowel inflammation. | 2017 | (24) |
| HM-EX | Cell | Protected IEC-6 from an oxidative stress injury | 2018 | (26) |
| HM-EX | Rat | Protected villous integrity, restored enterocyte proliferation, and improved intestinal epithelial cells | 2019 | (27) |
| HM-EX | / | Protected ISCs from oxidative stress injury | 2020 | (28) |
| BOVM-EX | Mouse | Improved goblet cell activity, prevented the development of NEC | 2019 | (32) |
| RAM-EX | Cell | Promoted IEC viability, enhanced proliferation, and stimulated intestinal stem cell activity | 2017 | (30) |
| PM-Ex | Mouse | Decreased intestinal epithelial apoptosis by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling | 2019 | (31) |