The Effect of Selected Synbiotics on Microbial Composition and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in a Model System of the Human Colon

PLOS ONE, Dec 2019

Background Prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics can be used to modulate both the composition and activity of the gut microbiota and thereby potentially affecting host health beneficially. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of eight synbiotic combinations on the composition and activity of human fecal microbiota using a four-stage semicontinuous model system of the human colon. Methods and Findings Carbohydrates were selected by their ability to enhance growth of the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (NCFM) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 (Bl-04) under laboratory conditions. The most effective carbohydrates for each probiotic were further investigated, using the colonic model, for the ability to support growth of the probiotic bacteria, influence the composition of the microbiota and stimulate formation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).The following combinations were studied: NCFM with isomaltulose, cellobiose, raffinose and an oat β-glucan hydrolysate (OBGH) and Bl-04 with melibiose, xylobiose, raffinose and maltotriose. All carbohydrates showed capable of increasing levels of NCFM and Bl-04 during fermentations in the colonic model by 103–104 fold and 10–102 fold, respectively. Also the synbiotic combinations decreased the modified ratio of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes (calculated using qPCR results for Bacteroides-Prevotella-Porphyromonas group, Clostridium perfringens cluster I, Clostridium coccoides - Eubacterium rectale group and Clostridial cluster XIV) as well as significantly increasing SCFA levels, especially acetic and butyric acid, by three to eight fold, as compared to the controls. The decreases in the modified ratio of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes were found to be correlated to increases in acetic and butyric acid (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions The results of this study show that all synbiotic combinations investigated are able to shift the predominant bacteria and the production of SCFA of fecal microbiota in a model system of the human colon, thereby potentially being able to manipulate the microbiota in a way connected to human health.

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The Effect of Selected Synbiotics on Microbial Composition and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in a Model System of the Human Colon

et al. (2012) The Effect of Selected Synbiotics on Microbial Composition and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in a Model System of the Human Colon. PLoS ONE 7(10): e47212. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0047212 The Effect of Selected Synbiotics on Microbial Composition and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in a Model System of the Human Colon Gabriella C. van Zanten 0 Anne Knudsen 0 Henna Ro ytio 0 Sofia Forssten 0 Mark Lawther 0 Andreas Blennow 0 Sampo J. Lahtinen 0 Mogens Jakobsen 0 Birte Svensson 0 Lene Jespersen 0 Stefan Bereswill, Charite-University Medicine Berlin, Germany 0 1 Department of Food Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark , 2 Enzyme and Protein Chemistry , Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark , Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark , 3 Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen Frederiksberg, Denmark , 4 DuPont Nutrition and Health, Kantvik, Finland, 5 Biovelop A/S, Kvistga rd , Denmark Background: Prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics can be used to modulate both the composition and activity of the gut microbiota and thereby potentially affecting host health beneficially. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of eight synbiotic combinations on the composition and activity of human fecal microbiota using a four-stage semicontinuous model system of the human colon. Methods and Findings: Carbohydrates were selected by their ability to enhance growth of the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (NCFM) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 (Bl-04) under laboratory conditions. The most effective carbohydrates for each probiotic were further investigated, using the colonic model, for the ability to support growth of the probiotic bacteria, influence the composition of the microbiota and stimulate formation of shortchain fatty acids (SCFA).The following combinations were studied: NCFM with isomaltulose, cellobiose, raffinose and an oat b-glucan hydrolysate (OBGH) and Bl-04 with melibiose, xylobiose, raffinose and maltotriose. All carbohydrates showed capable of increasing levels of NCFM and Bl-04 during fermentations in the colonic model by 103-104 fold and 10-102 fold, respectively. Also the synbiotic combinations decreased the modified ratio of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes (calculated using qPCR results for Bacteroides-Prevotella-Porphyromonas group, Clostridium perfringens cluster I, Clostridium coccoides - Eubacterium rectale group and Clostridial cluster XIV) as well as significantly increasing SCFA levels, especially acetic and butyric acid, by three to eight fold, as compared to the controls. The decreases in the modified ratio of Bacteroidetes/ Firmicutes were found to be correlated to increases in acetic and butyric acid (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: The results of this study show that all synbiotic combinations investigated are able to shift the predominant bacteria and the production of SCFA of fecal microbiota in a model system of the human colon, thereby potentially being able to manipulate the microbiota in a way connected to human health. - Funding: This project was funded by the Danish Strategic Research Councils Program Committee on Health, Food and Welfare (FSu). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: Henna Ro yti o, Sofia Forssten and Sampo J. Lahtinen are employed by DuPont Nutrition & Health, a manufacturer of the probiotics used in this study. Mark Lawther is employed by Biovelop A/S, the manufacturer of the b-glucan used in this study. Other authors declare no conflict of interest. This does not alter the authors adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. The concept of prebiotics was introduced by Gibson & Roberfroid [1]. The vast majority of published studies have focused on the effects of inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides [2]. Prebiotics have been reported to selectively stimulate growth of bifidobacteria, and to lesser extent lactobacilli, both in vitro and in human trials [35]. Human trials have indicated stimulation of mineral uptake [6,7] and an influence on cholesterol levels by reduction of triacylglycerol concentrations in blood by prebiotics [8], and animal studies suggest an effect of prebiotics on reduction of cancer risk [9,10]. Abrams et al. (2007) reported prebiotics to have an effect on BMI of adolescents [11]. Two studies have assessed the effect of prebiotics on irritable bowel syndrome and reported reduced frequency and severity of abdominal pain [12] and reduction of flatulence, bloating, abdominal pain together with self-reported global assessment of relief [13]. As reviewed by Roberfroid et al. [2], several pilot studies suggest an effect of prebiotics on inflammatory bowel disease (i.e. on disease activity), which is supported (...truncated)


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Gabriella C. van Zanten, Anne Knudsen, Henna Röytiö, Sofia Forssten, Mark Lawther, Andreas Blennow, Sampo J. Lahtinen, Mogens Jakobsen, Birte Svensson, Lene Jespersen. The Effect of Selected Synbiotics on Microbial Composition and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in a Model System of the Human Colon, PLOS ONE, 2012, 10, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047212