Prebiotic Inulin-type Fructans Induce Specific Changes in the Human Gut Microbiota

Overview

Journal Gut

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2017 Feb 19

PMID 28213610

Citations 209

Authors

Doris Vandeputte

Gwen Falony

Sara Vieira-Silva

Jun Wang

Manuela Sailer

Stephan Theis

Kristin Verbeke

Jeroen Raes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Contrary to the long-standing prerequisite of inducing selective (ie, bifidogenic) effects, recent findings suggest that prebiotic interventions lead to ecosystem-wide microbiota shifts. Yet, a comprehensive characterisation of this process is still lacking. Here, we apply 16S rDNA microbiota profiling and matching (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) metabolomics to assess the consequences of inulin fermentation both on the composition of the colon bacterial ecosystem and faecal metabolites profiles.

Design: Faecal samples collected during a double-blind, randomised, cross-over intervention study set up to assess the effect of inulin consumption on stool frequency in healthy adults with mild constipation were analysed. Faecal microbiota composition and metabolite profiles were linked to the study's clinical outcome as well as to quality-of-life measurements recorded.

Results: While faecal metabolite profiles were not significantly altered by inulin consumption, our analyses did detect a modest effect on global microbiota composition and specific inulin-induced changes in relative abundances of , and were identified. The observed decrease in abundances following inulin consumption was associated with both softer stools and a favourable change in constipation-specific quality-of-life measures.

Conclusions: Ecosystem-wide analysis of the effect of a dietary intervention with prebiotic inulin-type fructans on the colon microbiota revealed that this effect is specifically associated with three genera, one of which () representing a promising novel target for mechanistic research.

Trial Registration Number: NCT02548247.

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