Changes in production of ethanol, acids, and H2 from glucose by the fecal flora of a 16- and 158-d-old breast-fed infant

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 128; no. 1; pp. 85 - 90
• Main Authors: Wolin, M.J. (New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY.), Yerry, S, Miller, T.L, Zhang, Y, Bank, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutritional Sciences 01.01.1998; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: Acetates - metabolism; ACETIC ACID; ACIDE ACETIQUE; ACIDE BUTYRIQUE; ACIDE FORMIQUE; ACIDE LACTIQUE; ACIDE PROPIONIQUE; ACIDE SUCCINIQUE; ACIDO ACETICO; ACIDO BUTIRICO; ACIDO FORMICO; ACIDO LACTICO; ACIDO PROPIONICO; ACIDO SUCCINICO; AGE; AGE DIFFERENCES; Aging; ALIMENTATION AU SEIN; Babies; BEBES; BIOCHEMICAL PATHWAYS; Biological and medical sciences; BREAST FEEDING; Breastfeeding & lactation; BUTYRIC ACID; Carboxylic Acids - metabolism; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; EDAD; ENFANT EN BAS AGE; ETANOL; ETHANOL; Ethanol - metabolism; ETHANOL PRODUCTION; FAECES; FECES; Feces - microbiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; FERMENTACION; FERMENTATION; FLORA MICROBIANA; FLORE MICROBIENNE; Formates - metabolism; FORMIC ACID; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENERO HUMANO; GENRE HUMAIN; GLUCOSA; GLUCOSE; Glucose - metabolism; HECES; HIDROGENO; Humans; HYDROGEN; Hydrogen - metabolism; HYDROGENE; Infant; Infant, Newborn; INFANTS; INTESTIN; INTESTINES; INTESTINOS; LACTANCIA MATERNA; LACTIC ACID; Lactic Acid - metabolism; LACTOSA; LACTOSE; Lactose - metabolism; LONGITUDINAL STUDIES; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; MANKIND; MICROBIAL FLORA; PROPIONIC ACID; SUCCINIC ACID; Succinic Acid - metabolism; TEMPS; TIEMPO; TIME; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; VIA BIOQUIMICA DEL METABOLISMO; VOIE BIOCHIMIQUE DU METABOLISME; Human; Ethanol; Digestive system; Gut; Microflora; Infant; Breast feeding; Fermentation; Feeding; Newborn; Colon; Age; Breast milk
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100

Microbes in the adult human colon ferment dietary substrates chiefly to acetic, propionic and butyric acids and CO2, H2 and CH4. How this fermentation evolves after microbial colonization of the neonate is unknown. We examined the fermentation of glucose by fecal suspensions of a breast-fed infant from d 16 to 158 and found that the fermentation changed with age. Acetate, ethanol, succinate, lactate, formate and H2 were formed up to 117 d of age. Production of succinate, lactate, formate and H2 ceased after 117 d and acetate production increased. Butyrate and propionate were minor products up to 117 d. Afterwards, there was a slight increase in propionate production with no change in butyrate formation. Acetate was always the major product of glucose fermentation by the fecal suspensions. Approximately the same amounts of ethanol were formed throughout the study period. The fermentations were similar to fermentations of Escherichia coli and streptococci through 117 d. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of the acetate formed from 1-13C- and 3-13C-glucose showed that the dominant fermentation pathway used by the colonic microbes switched from the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway at 16 d of age to the Bifidobacterium pathway at 158 d of age. An increase in the contribution of the Bifidobactenum fermentation to the overall colonic fermentation after 117 d would account for the increase in the formation of acetate from glucose. Chemical and NMR analyses of products of fecal fermentations from two other breast-fed infants 1 mo old were similar to those of the infant examined between 16 and 158 d