Fucose-containing oligosaccharides from human milk from a donor of blood group 0 Le(a) nonsecretor.

The neutral oligosaccharides from the milk of a single donor with blood group 0, Lewis(a+b-) nonsecretor were separated into 18 fractions essentially according to the number of carbohydrate constituents using gel permeation chromatography on Biogel P-4 and Fractogel TSK HW-40. Further separation was achieved by HPLC and by HPTLC after reduction and peracetylation. The fractions obtained were analysed by FAB mass spectrometry with and without derivatization and by one- and two-dimensional proton NMR. Besides the already described 3-fucosidolactose, fucopentaose II (2), fucopentaose III (6) and difucohexaose II (4) the following fucosylated oligosaccharides could be identified. Among the higher oligosaccharides a branched lacto-N-decaose (12) was obtained in pure form after removal of the fucose residues by mild acid treatment.