title: Cross-feeding between bifidobacteria and butyrate-producing colon bacteria explains bifdobacterial competitiveness, butyrate production, and gas production.
abstract: Inulin-type fructans are not digested and reach the human colon intact, where they are selectively fermented by the colon microbiota, in particular bifidobacteria. As a result, they are converted, directly or indirectly, to short-chain fatty acids and other organic acids, as well as gases, and lead to both bifidogenic and butyrogenic health-promoting effects. Bifidobacteria display phenotypic variation on strain level as to their capacity to degrade inulin-type fructans. Also, different chain lengths of inulin-type fructans may stimulate different subgroups within the bifidobacterial population. The end-metabolites of inulin-type fructan degradation by bifidobacteria reflect their growth rates on these polymers. Other colon bacteria are also able to degrade inulin-type fructans, as is the case for lactobacilli, Bacteroides, certain enterobacteria, and butyrate producers. Bacterial cross-feeding mechanisms in the colon lay at the basis of overall butyrate production, a functional characteristic of several colon bacteria that is always accompanied by gas production. Finally, specificity of polysaccharide use by the colon microbiota may determine diet-induced alterations in the microbiota and consequent metabolic effects.
authors: Research Group of Industrial Microbiology and Food Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. ldvuyst@vub.ac.be
authors: Luc
authors: L
authors: De Vuyst
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Leroy
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000378:metabolism; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002087:Butyrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D005630:Fructans / Q000378:metabolism; D005740:Gases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D054892:Metagenome
chemical_list: D002087:Butyrates; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D005630:Fructans; D005740:Gases; D007444:Inulin