title: Colon microflora in infants fed formula with galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides: more like breast-fed infants.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Numico Research B.V., Wageningen, The Netherlands. jan.knol@numico-research.nl
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knol
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scholtens
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kafka
authors.forename: Jochem
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steenbakkers
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gro
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: Malte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klarczyk
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schöpfer
authors.forename: Heinz-Michael
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Böckler
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C116580:fructooligosaccharide; D019344:Lactic Acid