Compositions comprising oligosaccharides

1. A nutritional or pharmaceutical composition for the inhibition of pathogenic bacteria adhesion to mammalian cells, or for reducing or inhibiting the invasion and infection of mammalian cells by pathogenic bacteria, wherein the mammal cells invaded or infected are mammalian gut or intestinal epithelial cells, the composition comprising:

a first compound comprising methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides in an amount of about 0.5% to about 50% by total weight of the composition; and

a second compound comprising proanthocyanidins.

2. The nutritional or pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises partially hydrolysed guar gum.

3. A nutritional or pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of acute or chronic pathogenic bacteria-associated enteric disorders in a mammal, or for the treatment of pathogenic bacteria microflora proliferation in a mammal, the composition comprising:

a first compound comprising methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides in an amount of about 0.5% to about 50% by total weight of the composition: and

a second compound comprising proanthocyanidins.

4. The nutritional or pharmaceutical composition according to claim 3 , wherein said acute or chronic pathogenic bacteria-associated enteric disorders are selected from the group consisting of gastroenteritis, ulcerative colitis, diarrhoeal diseases, and combinations thereof.

5. A method for inhibiting pathogenic bacteria adhesion to mammalian cells or for reducing or inhibiting the invasion and infection of mammalian cells by pathogenic bacteria, the method comprising administering to a mammal a composition comprising: a first compound comprising methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides, wherein said mammalian cells are those of the gut and intestinal mammalian cells, and wherein the composition comprises about 0.5% to about 50% of the first compound by total weight of the composition; and a second compound comprising proanthocyanidins.

6. A method of treating acute or chronic pathogenic bacteria-associated, enteric disorders in a mammal, said method comprising administering to said mammal a composition comprising: about 0.5% to about 50% of methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides by total weight of the composition.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said enteric disorders are selected from the group consisting of gastroenteritis, ulcerative colitis, diarrhoeal diseases, and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the composition further comprises a therapeutically effect amount of partially hydrolysed guar gum.

9. A nutritional or pharmaceutical composition comprising methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides, wherein the composition comprises about 2.5% to about 10% of the methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides by total weight of the composition.

10. A method for the manufacture of a nutritional or pharmaceutical composition for the inhibition of pathogenic bacteria adhesion to mammalian cells, or for reducing or inhibiting the invasion and infection of mammalian cells by pathogenic bacteria, the method comprising adding to the nutritional or pharmaceutical composition a first compound comprising methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides, wherein the mammalian cells are mammalian gut or intestinal epithelial cells, wherein the composition comprises about 0.5% to about 50% of the first compound by total weight of the composition; and adding to the nutritional or pharmaceutical composition a second compound comprising proanthocyanidin.

11. A method for the manufacture of a nutritional or pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of acute or chronic pathogenic bacteria-associated enteric disorders in a mammal or for the treatment of pathogenic bacteria microflora proliferation in the mammal, the method comprising adding to the nutritional or pharmaceutical composition a first compound comprising methyl alpha manno-oligosaccharides, wherein the composition comprises about 0.5% to about 50% of the first compound by total weight of the composition; and adding to the nutritional or pharmaceutical composition a second compound comprising proanthocyanidins.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein said enteric disorders are selected from the group consisting of gastroenteritis, ulcerative colitis, diarrhoeal diseases, and combinations thereof.