title: Fructan supplementation of senior cats affects stool metabolite concentrations and fecal microbiota concentrations, but not nitrogen partitioning in excreta.
abstract: Fructan supplementation of a commercially available canned cat food was evaluated using senior (≥ 9 yr) cats to assess nitrogen (N) partitioning in excreta and stool metabolite and microbiota concentrations. Oligofructose (OF) or SynergyC (OF+IN) were added to the diet individually at 1% (dry weight basis). Cats were acclimated to the control diet for 7 d and then were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups for 21 d (n = 6). Feces and urine were collected on d 22 through 28. No differences were observed in food intake; fecal output, DM percentage, score, pH, or short- or branched-chain fatty acids, fecal and urinary ammonia output, urinary felinine concentrations, or N retention. Supplemental OF+IN tended to decrease N digestibility (P = 0.102) and Bifidobacteria spp. (P = 0.073) and decrease fecal indole (P < 0.05), tyramine (P < 0.05), and Escherichia coli (P < 0.05) concentrations. Both fructan-supplemented treatments decreased (P < 0.05) fecal histamine concentrations. The tendency to a lower apparent N digestibility was likely due to increased colonic microbial protein synthesis of fructan-supplemented cats. Fructan supplementation may benefit senior cats as it modulates stool odor-forming compounds and decreases some protein catabolites and pathogenic gut microbiota concentrations without affecting N retention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 132 Animal Sciences Laboratory, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 132 Animal Sciences Laboratory, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hernot
authors.affiliation: BENEO Group, Aandorenstraat 1, B-3300 Tienen, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Loo
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 132 Animal Sciences Laboratory, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fahey
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 132 Animal Sciences Laboratory, 1207 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana 61801 mgodoy2@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: M R C
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: de Godoy
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002415:Cats / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005630:Fructans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066237:Intestinal Elimination / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005630:Fructans; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: cat; fermentation endproducts; inulin; nutrient digestibility; oligofructose; protein catabolites