Furthermore, in order to gain additional insights into the effectiveness of I3C administration to newborn pups for the prevention of NEC, we performed a dose-response study using doses between 5–50 mg per kg body weight per day, and identified that doses in the range of 25–50 mg per kg body weight per day significantly activated AHR and protected mice from NEC, justifiying the selection of I3C dose of 25 mg per kg body weight per day (Supplementary Fig. 3). This evidence concerns the gene AHR and necrotizing enterocolitis.