Impact of 2'-Fucosyllactose on Gut Microbiota Composition in Adults with Chronic Gastrointestinal Conditions: Batch Culture Fermentation Model and Pilot Clinical Trial Findings

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 938
• Main Authors: Ryan, Jennifer Joan, Monteagudo-Mera, Andrea, Contractor, Nikhat, Gibson, Glenn R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14.03.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: 2′-FL; Adults; Bacteria; Batch culture; Bifidobacterium; Breast milk; Celiac disease; Clinical trials; Culture; Dysbacteriosis; dysbiosis; Feces; Fermentation; Fermenters; Flow cytometry; fucosyllactose; Gastrointestinal symptoms; gut microbiota; human milk oligosaccharides; Hybridization; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Irritable bowel syndrome; Lactose; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Oligosaccharides; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Quality of life; Ulcerative colitis; 2′-FL; fucosyllactose; human milk oligosaccharides; irritable bowel syndrome; prebiotics; gut microbiota; inflammatory bowel disease; dysbiosis; probiotics
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13030938

Intestinal dysbiosis has been described in patients with certain gastrointestinal conditions including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis. 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL), a prebiotic human milk oligosaccharide, is considered bifidogenic and butyrogenic. To assess prebiotic effects of 2'-FL, alone or in combination with probiotic strains (potential synbiotics), experiments were conducted on stool from healthy, IBS, and ulcerative colitis adult donors. In anaerobic batch culture fermenters, and - counts, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) including butyrate increased during fermentation with 2'-FL and some of the 2'-FL/probiotic combinations. In a subsequent open-label pilot trial, the effect of a 2'-FL-containing nutritional formula was evaluated in twelve adults with IBS or ulcerative colitis. Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) total and gastrointestinal symptoms domain scores, stool counts of and , and stool SCFAs including butyrate, increased after six weeks of intervention. Consistent with documented effects of 2'-FL, the batch culture fermentation experiments demonstrated bifidogenic and butyrogenic effects of 2'-FL during fermentation with human stool samples. Consumption of the 2'-FL-containing nutritional formula by adults with IBS or ulcerative colitis was associated with improvements in intra- and extra-intestinal symptoms, and bifidogenic and butyrogenic effects.