Colon microflora in infants fed formula with galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides: more like breast-fed infants.
OBJECTIVE
The intestinal flora of breast-fed infants is generally dominated by Bifidobacteria. We aimed to investigate whether an infant formula supplemented with galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides (GOS/FOS) is able to establish a bifido-dominant microflora, not only in numbers but also with respect to the metabolic activity in the colon.


METHODS
Two groups of infants fed infant formula with 0.8 g/100 ml GOS/FOS in a ratio of 9:1 (OSF group), or control formula (SF group) were evaluated in a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled intervention study. A breast-fed group was studied in parallel. At study onset and after 4 and 6 weeks, faecal samples were examined for the number of bifidobacteria, pH, short chain fatty acids and lactate.


RESULTS
After 6 weeks, the mean proportion of bifidobacteria was significantly higher in the OSF group (59.6% versus 49.5% in the SF group; P < 0.05). Compared with controls, infants in the OSF group had a lower stool mean pH and an increased proportion of acetate and a decreased proportion of propionate. The mean pH in the OSF and SF groups were 5.7 and 6.3, respectively (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of the prebiotic GOS/FOS mixture to an infant formula has a stimulating effect on the growth of bifidobacteria and on the metabolic activity of the total intestinal flora. The changes in short chain fatty acids, lactate and pH in the prebiotic group represent a fermentation profile that is closer to that observed in breast-fed infants compared to infants fed control formula.
Knol
Jan
J
Numico Research B.V., Wageningen, The Netherlands. jan.knol@numico-research.nl
Scholtens
Petra
P
Kafka
Corinna
C
Steenbakkers
Jochem
J
Gro
Sabine
S
Helm
Klaus
K
Klarczyk
Malte
M
Schöpfer
Helmut
H
Böckler
Heinz-Michael
HM
Wells
John
J
D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C116580:fructooligosaccharide; D019344:Lactic Acid