An in vitro study of the effect of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics on the elderly faecal microbiota

• Published in: Anaerobe Vol. 27; pp. 50 - 55
• Main Authors: Likotrafiti, Eleni, Tuohy, Kieran M., Gibson, Glenn R., Rastall, Robert A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2014
• Subjects: Aged; Bacterial Load; Bacteroides; Bifidobacterium - physiology; Bifidobacterium longum; Biota - drug effects; Elderly; Feces - microbiology; Female; Humans; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Lactobacillus; Lactobacillus fermentum; Lactobacillus fermentum - physiology; Male; Oligosaccharides - administration & dosage; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Probiotics - metabolism; Synbiotics; Probiotics; Elderly; Synbiotics; Prebiotics
• ISSN: 1075-9964; 1095-8274
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2014.03.009

The use of dietary intervention in the elderly in order to beneficially modulate their gut microbiota has not been extensively studied. The influence of two probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus fermentum) and two prebiotics [isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO) and short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS)], individually and in synbiotic combinations (B. longum with IMO, L. fermentum with FOS) on the gut microbiota of elderly individuals was investigated using faecal batch cultures and three-stage continuous culture systems. Population changes of major bacterial groups were enumerated using fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH). B. longum and IMO alone significantly increased the Bifidobacterium count after 5 and 10 h of fermentation and their synbiotic combination significantly decreased the Bacteroides count after 5 h of fermentation. L. fermentum and FOS alone significantly increased the Bifidobacterium count after 10 h and 5, 10 and 24 h of fermentation respectively. B. longum with IMO as well as B. longum and IMO alone significantly increased acetic acid concentration during the fermentation in batch cultures. In the three-stage continuous culture systems, both synbiotic combinations increased the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus count in the third vessel representing the distal colon. In addition, the synbiotic combination of L. fermentum with scFOS resulted in a significant increase in the concentration of acetic acid. The results show that the elderly gut microbiota can be modulated in vitro with the appropriate pro-, pre- and synbiotics. •Candidate pro-, pre- and synbiotics for the elderly were investigated.•Synbiotics of L. fermentum with scFOS and B. longum IMO were tested.•Examined using faecal batch cultures and three-stage gut models.•Bacterial populations enumerated using FISH and SCFA concentration quantified.•Elderly gut flora beneficially modulated with pro-, pre- and synbiotics.