Oligosaccharide compositions and methods of use thereof for treating viral infections
Aspects of the disclosure relate to oligosaccharide compositions and methods of making the same. Also provided are methods of using oligosaccharide compositions as microbiome metabolic therapies for treating respiratory viral illnesses, such as COVID-19.
1 . A method of treating a subject having one or more symptoms of a viral respiratory illness, wherein treating is facilitating improvement or remediation of damage caused by the viral respiratory illness or reduction in severity and/or frequency of the viral respiratory illness, or a symptom thereof, the method comprising administering to the gastrointestinal tract of the subject an effective amount of an oligosaccharide composition, wherein the oligosaccharide composition comprises a plurality of oligosaccharides, with an average degree of polymerization of 5-20, selected from Formula (I), Formula (II), and Formula (III):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IIId), (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IId), (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId); wherein the oligosaccharide composition is produced by a process comprising:
(a) forming a reaction mixture comprising about 30-60% dextrose monomer, about 30-60% galactose monomer, and about 5-15% mannose monomer with an acid catalyst comprising positively charged hydrogen ions; and
(b) promoting acid catalyzed oligosaccharide formation in the reaction mixture by transferring sufficient heat to the reaction mixture to maintain the reaction mixture at its boiling point, thereby treating the subject.
2 . A method comprising:
(A) identifying a human subject having one or more symptoms associated with a viral respiratory infection; and
(B) treating the subject with an oligosaccharide composition comprising a plurality of oligosaccharides, having an average degree of polymerization of 5-20, selected from Formula (I), Formula (II), and Formula (III):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IIId), (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IId), (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId), wherein treating is facilitating improvement or remediation of damage caused by the viral respiratory infection or reduction in severity and/or frequency of the viral respiratory infection, or a symptom thereof and the oligosaccharide composition is produced by a process comprising:
(a) forming a reaction mixture comprising about 30-60% dextrose monomer, about 30-60% galactose monomer, and about 5-15% mannose monomer with an acid catalyst comprising positively charged hydrogen ions; and
(b) promoting acid catalyzed oligosaccharide formation in the reaction mixture by transferring sufficient heat to the reaction mixture to maintain the reaction mixture at its boiling point.
3 . A method of attenuating an immune response in a subject having one or more symptoms of a viral respiratory illness, the method comprising administering to the gastrointestinal tract of the subject an effective amount of an oligosaccharide composition, wherein the oligosaccharide composition comprises a plurality of oligosaccharides, with an average degree of polymerization of 5-20, selected from Formula (I), Formula (II), and Formula (III):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IId), (IIIa), (IIb), (IIIc), (IIId):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IId), (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId), wherein the oligosaccharide composition is produced by a process comprising:
(a) forming a reaction mixture comprising about 30-60% dextrose monomer, about 30-60% galactose monomer, and about 5-15% mannose monomer with an acid catalyst comprising positively charged hydrogen ions; and
(b) promoting acid catalyzed oligosaccharide formation in the reaction mixture by transferring sufficient heat to the reaction mixture to maintain the reaction mixture at its boiling point; thereby attenuating an immune response in the subject.
4 . The method of any one of claims 1-3 , wherein the subject has one or more symptoms selected from the group consisting of: fever, shivering, chills, malaise, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of appetite, loss of taste, loss of smell, body aches, muscle pain, headache, diarrhea and nausea.
5 . The method of any one of claims 1-3 , wherein the viral respiratory illness or infection is caused by an RNA virus.
6 . A method of increasing the amount of short-chain fatty acids in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, the method comprising administering to the gastrointestinal tract an effective amount of an oligosaccharide composition, wherein the oligosaccharide composition comprises a plurality of oligosaccharides, with an average degree of polymerization of 5-20, selected from Formula (I), Formula (II), and Formula (III):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IIId), (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId):
wherein each R independently is selected from hydrogen, and Formulae (Ia), (Ib), (Ic), (Id), (IIa), (IIb), (IIc), (IIId), (IIIa), (IIIb), (IIIc), (IIId), wherein the oligosaccharide composition is produced by a process comprising:
(a) forming a reaction mixture comprising about 30-60% dextrose monomer, about 30-60% galactose monomer, and about 5-15% mannose monomer with an acid catalyst comprising positively charged hydrogen ions; and
(b) promoting acid catalyzed oligosaccharide formation in the reaction mixture by transferring sufficient heat to the reaction mixture to maintain the reaction mixture at its boiling point.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the short-chain fatty acids comprise propionate, butyrate and/or acetate.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the amounts of short-chain fatty acids are increased by at least 2-fold in an ex vivo fecal sample collected from the subject relative to a baseline measurement or control.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the amount of propionate is increased by at least 1.2 fold in an ex vivo fecal sample collected from the subject relative to a baseline measurement or control.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the relative amounts of acetate, propionate, and butyrate produced are about 40-70% acetate, about 30-50% propionate, and about 5-20% butyrate.
11 . The method of any one of claims 1 or 3 , further comprising identifying a human subject having one or more symptoms associated with a viral respiratory illness.
12 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising identifying a human subject having one or more symptoms associated with a deficiency in short-chain fatty acids in the gastrointestinal tract.