Product name: 3-Fucosyllactose
Synonym name: 3-O-α-LFucopyranosyllactose;3-O-α-L-Fucosyllactose；3FL
Catalogue No.: BP5161
Cas No.: 41312-47-4
Formula: C18H32O15
Mol Weight: 488.439
Botanical Source:
Type of Compound:
Purity: 95%~99%
Analysis Method: HPLC-DAD or/and HPLC-ELSD
Identification Method: Mass, NMR
Packing: Brown vial or HDPE plastic bottle
Storage: Store in a well closed container, protected from air and light. Put into refrigerate or freeze for long term storage.
Whenever possible, you should prepare and use solutions on the same day. However, if you need to make up stock solutions in advance, we recommend that you store the solution as aliquots in tightly sealed vials at -20℃. Generally, these will be useable for up to two weeks.
The product could be supplied from milligrams to grams
Inquire for bulk scale.
For Reference Standard and R&D, Not for Human Use Directly.
HNMR of 3-Fucosyllactose
HPLC of 3-Fucosyllactose
Storage conditions：Short-term storage at 2~8℃, long-term storage at -20 ~ -80℃
3-Fucosyllactose (3-FL), as one of the most abundant oligosaccharides in human breast milk, has attracted widespread attention in the field of natural product pharmacology in recent years. As a functional oligosaccharide, 3-FL not only plays a key role in regulating the gut microbiota of newborns, but also exhibits significant potential for immune regulation, antibacterial activity, and promoting brain and nerve development. With the continuous deepening of research on the structure and function of milk oligosaccharides, the biological activity and molecular mechanism of 3-FL have gradually become clear, providing a theoretical basis and practical basis for its application in infant nutrition supplementation, immune disease intervention, and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.
This article aims to systematically review the chemical structure and physicochemical properties, sources and extraction techniques, pharmacological activity and mechanism of action, drug evaluation and pharmacokinetic characteristics of 3-fucosyllactose, and explore its clinical application prospects and future research directions, providing reference for researchers and clinical workers in related fields.
3-Fucosyl-D-lactose is a trisaccharide molecule formed by the connection of lactose (Gal β 1-4Glc) and fucose (Fuc) through α 1-3 glycosidic bonds. Its molecular formula is C20H36O15, with a molecular weight of 488.4390 Da. The structural feature of 3-FL is the specific connection mode of fucose residues, which endows it with unique biological activity.
In terms of physical and chemical properties, 3-FL exhibits high polarity with a LogP value of -2.9851, indicating its strong hydrophilicity. The extremely high topological polar surface area (TPSA) is 256.29 Å ², further indicating its good water solubility (solubility of approximately 187.24 mg/mL). Due to its high polarity and molecular weight, the blood-brain barrier permeability of 3-FL is low, indicating limited direct action in the central nervous system. In addition, 3-FL did not show hERG channel inhibition and the Ames mutagenicity test result was 0, indicating its high safety and good potential for drug development.
3-Fucosyllactose is mainly present in human breast milk, especially in high levels during early lactation. Although its natural source is mainly breast milk, in recent years, with the deepening understanding of the function of oligosaccharides in breast milk, the industrial production of 3-FL has gradually been realized, mainly through two pathways: microbial fermentation and enzyme catalyzed synthesis.
Naturally Extracted
Traditionally, the extraction of 3-FL from breast milk is relatively complex, requiring multiple processes such as whey separation, ultrafiltration, ion exchange, and chromatographic purification. The yield is limited and the cost is high, making it difficult to meet industrial demand.
Microbial fermentation method
Using genetic engineering technology to modify Escherichia coli, yeast, or other probiotics to express specific fucosyltransferase (such as FUT9) and catalyze the synthesis of 3-FL in the presence of lactose. This method has the advantages of low cost, high yield, and stable process, and has become the mainstream technology for industrial production of 3-FL.
Enzymatic synthesis
Through the in vitro catalytic reaction of purified fucosyltransferase, fucose is transferred to lactose molecules to synthesize 3-FL. This method has mild reaction conditions and high product purity, but the high cost of enzyme preparation limits its large-scale application.
In summary, the synthesis technology based on microbial fermentation provides a feasible path for the large-scale production of 3-FL, promoting its application and development in fields such as food and medicine.
3-Fucosyllactose, as a functional oligosaccharide, has multiple pharmacological activities, mainly including prebiotic effects, immune regulation, promotion of brain and nerve development, and antibacterial functions.
3-FL can selectively promote the growth of gut probiotics (such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) and improve gut microbiota balance. Research has shown that 3-FL, as a prebiotic, promotes the colonization of beneficial bacteria and inhibits the proliferation of pathogens by providing a specific carbon source, thereby maintaining intestinal barrier function and preventing intestinal infections and inflammation.
3-FL enhances the body's immune defense ability by regulating the intestinal immune environment. Its mechanism includes promoting the activation of immune cells (such as macrophages and dendritic cells), regulating cytokine secretion (such as IL-10 and TNF - α), and participating in immune signal transduction by binding to immune related receptors, reducing excessive inflammatory reactions, and maintaining immune homeostasis.
3-FL plays an important role in neonatal brain development, especially in promoting the differentiation of brain neurons and synaptic formation. Related studies have shown that 3-FL affects the construction of neural networks, promotes cognitive function, and promotes neural development by regulating the activity of glycosylated enzymes in the brain and the expression of surface glycoproteins on nerve cells.
3-FL can simulate the receptor structure of pathogenic bacteria, block their adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells through competitive binding, and exert anti infective effects. Especially effective in inhibiting common intestinal pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli, reducing the risk of infection.
The biological function of 3-FL is closely related to its specific molecular targets. The current research focuses on its targets and signaling pathways in the field of brain and neural development.
ST8SIA2 Encoding polysialyltransferase, it participates in the synthesis of polysialic acid on the surface of nerve cells, affecting neuronal migration and axonal guidance. 3-FL promotes neuronal development and synaptic plasticity by regulating ST8SIA2 expression.
B3GNT5β -1,3-N-acetylglucosyltransferase, involved in sugar chain synthesis, affects intercellular signaling and cell adhesion. 3-FL may regulate the activity of B3GNT5, regulate the glycosylation status on the surface of neural cells, and promote the formation of neural networks.
FUT9 Fucosyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of fucose residues and affects the surface sugar chain structure of nerve cells. 3-FL, as a product of FUT9, feedback regulates the enzyme activity and maintains glycosylation balance during neural development.
CD24 Cell surface glycoprotein, involved in immune regulation and neural development. 3-FL regulates immune cell function and neuronal signaling by interacting with CD24.
NCAM1 Neuronal cell adhesion molecule 1, a key neurodevelopmental regulatory factor. 3-FL promotes neuronal adhesion and synapse formation by affecting the glycosylation modification of NCAM1.
3-FL regulates the expression and glycosylation status of the aforementioned targets, affecting the differentiation, migration, and synaptic formation of nerve cells, and promoting brain neural development. Meanwhile, in intestinal immune regulation and antibacterial effects, it simulates the structure of pathogen receptors, blocks pathogen adhesion, regulates immune cell activity, and maintains intestinal barrier function.
The pharmacological evaluation of 3-FL shows that it has good safety and potential pharmacological activity.
In summary, 3-FL is suitable for use in intestinal related diseases and as a nutritional supplement for infants and young children, with good drug properties. However, further optimization of the administration route is needed for its application in central nervous system diseases.
With the in-depth study of the biological functions of 3-FL, its clinical application prospects are broad, mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Infant and toddler nutritional supplements
3-FL, as a representative of milk oligosaccharides, has been widely added to formula milk to simulate the prebiotic and immune regulatory functions of breast milk, promote intestinal health and immune system development in infants and young children.
Adjuvant therapy for immune diseases
Based on its immunomodulatory effect, 3-FL is expected to be used for the prevention and adjuvant treatment of enteritis, allergic diseases, and immune dysfunction related diseases, improving the immune status of patients.
Neurodevelopmental disorders intervention
The promoting effect of 3-FL on brain neural development provides potential therapeutic strategies for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and can be combined with delivery technology to achieve targeted therapy in the future.
Development of anti infective drugs
Its antibacterial mechanism provides ideas for the development of new anti infective drugs, especially in the context of increasingly severe antibiotic resistance, 3-FL and its derivatives may become important candidates for alternative therapies.
Future research should focus on the pharmacokinetic characteristics, formulation development, and clinical efficacy evaluation of 3-FL, in order to promote its transformation from functional food to drug development.
3-Fucosyllactose, as an important component of natural human milk oligosaccharides, has shown great potential for applications in prebiotics, immune regulation, neurodevelopment, and antibacterial fields due to its unique chemical structure and diverse biological activities. Its good safety and pharmacological properties lay the foundation for clinical translation. In the future, with the advancement of synthetic technology and in-depth analysis of its mechanism of action, 3-FL is expected to play a greater role in infant nutrition, immune disease treatment, and intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders, becoming an important research hotspot and clinical application star in the field of natural product pharmacology.
