Neutral and acidic milk oligosaccharides of the striped skunk ( M ephitidae: M ephitis mephitis )

The biological significance of the tremendous variation in proportions of oligosaccharides and lactose among mammalian milks is poorly understood. We investigated milk oligosaccharides of the striped skunk ( M ephitis mephitis ) and compared these results to other species of the clade M ustelida. Individual oligosaccharides were identified by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In the striped skunk, six oligosaccharides were identified: isoglobotriose, 2′‐fucosyllactose, A ‐tetrasaccharide, G alili pentasaccharide, 3′‐sialyllactose and monosialyl monogalactosyl lacto‐ N ‐neohexaose. Four of these have been found in related Mustelida and the other two in more distantly related carnivorans. The neutral and acidic oligosaccharides derive from three core structures: lactose (Gal( β 1–4)Glc) , lacto‐ N ‐neotetraose (Gal( β 1–4)GlcNAc( β 1–3)Gal( β 1–4)Glc) and lacto‐ N ‐neohexaose (Gal( β 1–4)GlcNAc( β 1–3)[Gal( β 1–4)GlcNAc( β 1–6)]Gal( β 1–4)Glc) .