Dietary fibre and the importance of the gut microbiota in feline nutrition: a review

Rochus, Kristel; Janssens, Geert; Hesta, Myriam

doi:10.1017/s0954422414000213

Cited by 32 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 94 publications

(221 reference statements)

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“…Studies have shown an effect of these ingredients on fecal microbial composition, nutrient digestibility, and short-chain fatty acid concentrations, particularly in dogs (Patra, 2011; Schmitz & Suchodolski, 2016; De Godoy, Kerr & Fahey, 2013). Domestic cats are obligate carnivores but several studies support the hypothesis that microbial fermentation inside the distal gut is significant and beneficial to the host (Rochus, Janssens & Hesta, 2014). However, most of the published studies have researched the effect of natural prebiotics (with and without processing, e.g., potato fiber, see Panasevich et al, 2015) as opposed to commercial preparations containing these ingredients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular assessment of the fecal microbiota in healthy cats and dogs before and during supplementation with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin using high-throughput 454-pyrosequencing

García-Mazcorro

Barcenas-Walls

Suchodolski

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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Prebiotics are selectively fermentable dietary compounds that result in changes in the composition and/or activity of the intestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefits upon host health. In veterinary medicine, commercially available products containing prebiotics have not been well studied with regard to the changes they trigger on the composition of the gut microbiota. This study evaluated the effect of a commercially available nutraceutical containing fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin on the fecal microbiota of healthy cats and dogs when administered for 16 days. Fecal samples were collected at two time points before and at two time points during prebiotic administration. Total genomic DNA was obtained from fecal samples and 454-pyrosequencing was used for 16S rRNA gene bacterial profiling. The linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) method was used for detecting bacterial taxa that may respond (i.e., increase or decrease in its relative abundance) to prebiotic administration. Prebiotic administration was associated with a good acceptance and no side effects (e.g., diarrhea) were reported by the owners. A low dose of prebiotics (50 mL total regardless of body weight with the end product containing 0.45% of prebiotics) revealed a lower abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and a higher abundance of Veillonellaceae during prebiotic administration in cats, while Staphylococcaceae showed a higher abundance during prebiotic administration in dogs. These differences were not sufficient to separate bacterial communities as shown by analysis of weighted UniFrac distance metrics. A predictive approach of the fecal bacterial metagenome using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) also did not reveal differences between the period before and during prebiotic administration. A second trial using a higher dose of prebiotics (3.2 mL/kg body weight with the end product containing 3.1% of prebiotics) was tested in dogs and revealed a lower abundance of Dorea (family Clostridiaceae) and a higher abundance of Megamonas and other (unknown) members of Veillonellaceae during prebiotic administration. Again, these changes were not sufficient to separate bacterial communities or predicted metabolic profiles according to treatment. A closer analysis of bacterial communities at all time-points revealed highly individualized patterns of variation. This study shows a high interindividual variation of fecal bacterial communities from pet cats and dogs, that these communities are relatively stable over time, and that some of this variation can be attributable to prebiotic administration, a phenomenon that may be affected by the amount of the prebiotic administered in the formulation. This study also provides insights into the response of gut bacterial communities in pet cats and dogs during administration of commercially available products containing prebiotics. More studies are needed to explore potentially beneficial effects on host health beyond changes in bacterial ...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular assessment of the fecal microbiota in healthy cats and dogs before and during supplementation with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin using high-throughput 454-pyrosequencing

García-Mazcorro

Barcenas-Walls

Suchodolski

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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“…Miscellaneous: Changes in the gut microbiota as a function of diet have also been shown in many other animals, including dogs [33], cats [34], chickens [35], pigs [36], seals [37], howler monkeys [38] and frogs [39]. In those animals that have been examined, compositional changes in the gut microbiome have also been correlated with overall changes in physiology.…”

Section: Introduction: the Hologenome Conceptmentioning

confidence: 97%

Interaction between the Microbiome and Diet: The Hologenome Concept

Rosenberg¹,

Zilber‐Rosenberg²

2016

J Nutr Food Sci

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All plants and animals, including humans, are holobionts consisting of a host and diverse microorganisms, referred to as the microbiome or microbiota. The hologenome concept posits that the holobiont with its hologenome (sum of host and microbiome genes) can function as a single entity, acting in consortium, and therefore also as a unit of selection in evolution. Diet affects the microbiome by increasing or decreasing the population of some bacteria relative to others and by introducing new bacteria into the microbiome. Such phenomena can result in physiological changes within the host as well as within the holobiont as a whole. Novel microbes can be introduced into the microbiome by uncooked food; Changes in the relative number of bacteria can occur in the colon where food remnants, such as dietary fiber, that escape digestion in the upper digestive tract, are broken down into short chain fatty acids and many other compounds-beneficial, neutral or harmful. Diet-induced changes in the microbiome contribute to the health of humans by providing nutrients, priming the immune system, regulating development and eating behavior, and contributing to energy homeostasis, obesity and occasionally to disease.

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“…Diet is recognized as one of the major factors driving the composition and metabolism of the gut microbiota (Russell et al 2013). While many studies have highlighted the beneficial effects deriving from the dietary inclusion of non-digestible carbohydrates and prebiotics in dogs and cats (Pinna and Biagi 2014;Rochus et al 2014), little is known about feeding functional food components to these animals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An in vitro evaluation of the effects of a Yucca schidigera extract and chestnut tannins on composition and metabolic profiles of canine and feline faecal microbiota

Pinna

Vecchiato

Cardenia

et al. 2017

Archives of Animal Nutrition

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The in vitro effect of a Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) and tannins from chestnut wood on composition and metabolic activity of canine and feline faecal microbiota was evaluated. Four treatments were carried out: control diet, chestnut tannins (CT), YSE and CT + YSE. The YSE was added to canine and feline faecal cultures at 0.1 g/l, while CT were added at 0.3 g/l for a 24-h incubation. A total of 130 volatile compounds were detected by means of headspace-solid phase microextraction gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses. Several changes in the metabolite profiles of fermentation fluids were found, including a decrease of alcohols (-19%) and esters (-42%) in feline and canine inoculum, respectively, which was due to the antibacterial properties of tannins. In canine inoculum, after 6 h, YSE + CT caused lower cadaverine concentrations (-37%), while ammonia (-4%) and quinolone (-27%) were reduced by addition of CT. After 24 h, the presence of CT resulted in a decrease of sulphur compounds, such as dimethyl sulphide (-69%) and dimethyl disulphide (-20%). In feline faecal cultures, after 6 h, CT lowered the amount of indole (-48%), whereas YSE tended to decrease trimethylamine levels (-16%). Both in canine and feline inoculum, addition of CT and, to a minor extent, YSE affected volatile fatty acids patterns. In canine faecal cultures, CT exerted a marginal inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli population (-0.45 log 10 numbers of DNA copies/ml), while enterococci were increased (+2.06 log 10 numbers of DNA copies/ml) by YSE. The results from the present study show that YSE and tannins from chestnut wood exert different effects on the composition and metabolism of canine and feline faecal microbiota. In particular, the supplementation of YSE and tannins to diets for dogs and cats may be beneficial due to the reduction of the presence of some potentially toxic volatile metabolites in the animals' intestine.

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Dietary fibre and the importance of the gut microbiota in feline nutrition: a review

Cited by 32 publications

References 94 publications

Molecular assessment of the fecal microbiota in healthy cats and dogs before and during supplementation with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin using high-throughput 454-pyrosequencing

Molecular assessment of the fecal microbiota in healthy cats and dogs before and during supplementation with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin using high-throughput 454-pyrosequencing

Interaction between the Microbiome and Diet: The Hologenome Concept

An in vitro evaluation of the effects of a Yucca schidigera extract and chestnut tannins on composition and metabolic profiles of canine and feline faecal microbiota

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