Maternal intake of laminarin improves infant growth and health by fortifying metabolite profiles of colostrum and milk

Maternal nutrition is a pivotal factor affecting the health and development of offspring during gestation, lactation and even lifetime. In this study, we showed that maternal intake of laminarin improved the antioxidant capacity and intestinal barrier function of the offspring and alleviated the inflammatory response, thereby improving infant growth and health in a porcine model. Furthermore, we revealed that maternal consumption of laminarin significantly modified the metabolite profiles of colostrum and milk, and modified the component transition from colostrum to milk. Spearman analysis showed that pivotal differential metabolites in the milk closely linked with the physiological and immune status of infants. In addition, we demonstrated that a representative differential milk metabolite, coniferyl aldehyde (CA), enhanced the antioxidant capacity and expression levels of tight junction proteins in porcine intestinal epithelial cells. In summary, we here illustrated that maternal intake of laminarin facilitated offspring health and growth by fortifying milk metabolites.