Abstract

Concentrated faecal extracts from breast and artificially fed infants during the first week of life were examined by paper chromatography. Besides lactose, glucose and galactose, five oligosaccharide spots were detected. Breast-fed infants showed an additional fucose spot. Complete hydrolysis of the individual oligosaccharides showed glucose and galactose always and fucose in two instances. The oligosaccharides are probably similar to those isolated by other workers from colostrum and human milk.

This is a preliminary report.