BACKGROUND: Fermentable fiber promotes the growth of resident gut microbes, which modify the environment of the gastrointestinal tract and thus prevent colonization by Clostridium difficile. METHODS: An in vitro system with pigs as fecal inoculum donors was used to estimate fiber fermentability and changes in intestinal microbiota. RESULTS: Acetate and propionate production (mumol/mg substrate fermented/day) was greatest for gum arabic (1013.4 and 704.1, respectively); butyrate production was greatest for xylo-oligosaccharide (345.6). Growth of total anaerobes and clostridia was greatest for gum arabic (21.2 and 16.2 x 10(8) counts/ml, respectively) and xylo-oligosaccharides (21.0 and 19.6 x 10(8) respectively); growth of acidogenic bacteria was greatest with fructo-oligosaccharide (6.7 x 10(8) counts/ml). No culturable counts of C. difficile were obtained, nor was toxin A detected. CONCLUSIONS: Fermentable fibers support the growth of indigenous intestinal bacteria, particularly acidogenic bacteria, and yield large amounts of short-chain fatty acids with decreased gut pH. These factors contribute to the prevention of growth and toxin elaboration by C. difficile.
BACKGROUND: Fermentable fiber promotes the growth of resident gut microbes, which modify the environment of the gastrointestinal tract and thus prevent colonization by Clostridium difficile. METHODS: An in vitro system with pigs as fecal inoculum donors was used to estimate fiber fermentability and changes in intestinal microbiota. RESULTS:Acetate and propionate production (mumol/mg substrate fermented/day) was greatest for gum arabic (1013.4 and 704.1, respectively); butyrate production was greatest for xylo-oligosaccharide (345.6). Growth of total anaerobes and clostridia was greatest for gum arabic (21.2 and 16.2 x 10(8) counts/ml, respectively) and xylo-oligosaccharides (21.0 and 19.6 x 10(8) respectively); growth of acidogenic bacteria was greatest with fructo-oligosaccharide (6.7 x 10(8) counts/ml). No culturable counts of C. difficile were obtained, nor was toxin A detected. CONCLUSIONS: Fermentable fibers support the growth of indigenous intestinal bacteria, particularly acidogenic bacteria, and yield large amounts of short-chain fatty acids with decreased gut pH. These factors contribute to the prevention of growth and toxin elaboration by C. difficile.
Authors: Stephen J D O'Keefe; Junhai Ou; James P Delany; Scott Curry; Erwin Zoetendal; H Rex Gaskins; Scott Gunn Journal: World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol Date: 2011-12-15
Authors: Angela E Reeves; Casey M Theriot; Ingrid L Bergin; Gary B Huffnagle; Patrick D Schloss; Vincent B Young Journal: Gut Microbes Date: 2011-05-01
Authors: Alexa R Weingarden; Chi Chen; Aleh Bobr; Dan Yao; Yuwei Lu; Valerie M Nelson; Michael J Sadowsky; Alexander Khoruts Journal: Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol Date: 2013-11-27 Impact factor: 4.052