A Novel Galactooligosaccharide Mixture Increases the Bifidobacterial Population Numbers in a Continuous In Vitro Fermentation System and in the Proximal Colonic Contents of Pigs In Vivo

Abstract

Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that encourage proliferation of selected groups of the colonic microflora, thereby altering the composition toward a more beneficial community. In the present study, the prebiotic potential of a novel galactooligosaccharide (GOS) mixture, produced by the activity of galactosyltransferases from Bifidobacterium bifidum 41171 on lactose, was assessed in vitro and in a parallel continuous randomized pig trial. In situ fluorescent hybridization with 16S rRNA-targeted probes was used to investigate changes in total bacteria, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, bacteroides, and Clostridium histolyticum group in response to supplementing the novel GOS mixture. In a 3-stage continuous culture system, the bifidobacterial numbers for the first 2 vessels, which represented the proximal and traverse colon, increased (P < 0.05) after the addition of the oligosaccharide mixture. In addition, the oligosaccharide mixture strongly inhibited the attachment of enterohepatic Escherichia coli (P < 0.01) and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (P < 0.01) to HT29 cells. Addition of the novel mixture at 4% (wt:wt) to a commercial diet increased the density of bifidobacteria (P < 0.001) and the acetate concentration (P < 0.001), and decreased the pH (P < 0.001) compared with the control diet and the control diet supplemented with inulin, suggesting a great prebiotic potential for the novel oligosaccharide mixture.

Effects of inulin and di-d-fructose dianhydride-enriched caramels on intestinal microbiota composition and performance of broiler chickens

“…Regarding the products of microbial metabolism, it is well established that the principal end products of bacterial fermentation processes are SCFA, with inulin and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) giving rise mainly to acetate (Candela et al, 2010). The results found with raftilose and caramels in our in vitro trial (lower pH values, and higher lactate and SCFA, mainly acetate, production) are similar to those reported by Tzortzis et al (2005) using galacto-oligosaccharides and inulin.…”

Influence of different prebiotics and mode of their administration on broiler chicken performance

“…GOS used in this study (BI) was synthesized using enzymes from Bifidobacterium bifidum NCIMB 41 171, which is a common intestinal human bacteria. GOS generated with those enzymes have stronger affinity to stimulate growth of bifidobacteria and as such expressed better prebiotic activities based on in vitro studies in pigs and in humans (Tzortzis et al, 2005;Depeint et al, 2008;Tzortzis, 2009). GOS have been known to increase bacterial populations in poultry when supplemented in-feed (Jung et al, 2008).…”

“…containing laminarin (>30% w/w β (1-3, 1-6)-glucan) and fucoidan, at a ratio of 85 : 15. BI is composed of 45% lactose, 9.9% disaccharides (Gal (β 1-3)-Glc; Gal (β 1-3)-Gal; Gal (β 1-6)-Gal; Gal (α 1-6)-Gal), 23.1% trisaccharides (Gal (β 1-6)-Gal (β 1-4)-Glc; Gal (β 1-3)-Gal (β 1-4)-Glc), 11.55% tetrasaccharides (Gal (β 1-6)-Gal (β 1-6)-Gal (β 1-4)-Glc) and 10.45% pentasaccharides (Gal (β 1-6)-Gal (β 1-6)-Gal (β 1-6)-Gal (β 1-4)-Glc) (Tzortzis et al, 2005). RFO solution contains 6.1% sucrose, 9.4% raffinose, 65.2% stachyose, 18.0% verbascose and 1.3% other saccharides (Bednarczyk et al, 2011).…”

Probiotics use in intensive fish farming

“…It can also be define as "a viable micro-organism which when ingested through the oral cavity in a sufficient quantity confer on the host a beneficial effect due to an improvement in the intestinal microbial balance" (Giorgio et al, 2010). A live microbial dietary additive confers health advantages and had has its long history of use in humans and animals (Tzortzis et al, 2005). A good definition for application for aquaculture is "a live, dead or component of a microbial cell that when administered via the feed or to the rearing water benefits the host by improving either disease resistance, health statues, growth performance, feed utilization, stress response or general vigour, which is achieved at least in part via improving the hosts microbial balance or the microbial balance of the ambient environment" (Merrifield et al, 2010c).…”

“…The use of prebiotics may help in this way. They induce a specific colonic fermentation by potentially health promoting indigenous bacteria such as Lactic acid producing flora (Tzortzis et al, 2005). Some of these can use natural feed additives such as inulin, sugar beet pulp and wheat starch, which can significantly affect microbiota composition and functionality.…”