Potential Applications of Endo-β--Acetylglucosaminidases From Subspecies in Designing Value-Added, Next-Generation Infant Formulas.

Human milk is the optimal source of infant nutrition. Among many other health benefits, human milk can stimulate the development of a -rich microbiome through human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). In recent years, the development of novel formulas has placed particular focus on incorporating some of the beneficial functional properties of human milk. These include adding specific glycans aimed to selectively stimulate the growth of . However, the bifidogenicity of human milk remains unparalleled. Dietary glycans are carbohydrate structures conjugated to a wide variety of glycoproteins. These glycans have a remarkable structural similarity to HMOs and, when released, show a strong bifidogenic effect. This review discusses the biocatalytic potential of the endo-β--acetylglucosaminidase enzyme (EndoBI-1) from subspecies , in releasing glycans inherently present in infant formula as means to increase the bifidogenicity of infant formula. Finally, the potential implications for protein deglycosylation with EndoBI-1 in the development of value added, next-generation formulas are discussed from a technical perspective.