title: In vitro fermentation of B-GOS: impact on faecal bacterial populations and metabolic activity in autistic and non-autistic children.
abstract: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often suffer gastrointestinal problems consistent with imbalances in the gut microbial population. Treatment with antibiotics or pro/prebiotics has been postulated to regulate microbiota and improve gut symptoms, but there is a lack of evidence for such approaches, especially for prebiotics. This study assessed the influence of a prebiotic galactooligosaccharide (B-GOS) on gut microbial ecology and metabolic function using faecal samples from autistic and non-autistic children in an in vitro gut model system. Bacteriology was analysed using flow cytometry combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization and metabolic activity by HPLC and1H-NMR. Consistent with previous studies, the microbiota of children with ASD contained a higher number of Clostridium spp. and a lower number of bifidobacteria compared with non-autistic children. B-GOS administration significantly increased bifidobacterial populations in each compartment of the models, both with autistic and non-autistic-derived samples, and lactobacilli in the final vessel of non-autistic models. In addition, changes in other bacterial population have been seen in particular for Clostridium, Rosburia, Bacteroides, Atopobium, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Sutterella spp. and Veillonellaceae. Furthermore, the addition of B-GOS to the models significantly altered short-chain fatty acid production in both groups, and increased ethanol and lactate in autistic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AP, UK r.grimaldi@pgr.reading.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.affiliation: Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece.
authors.forename: Drinalda
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cela
authors.affiliation: Division of Computational and Systems Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Swann
authors.affiliation: Clasado Research Services Ltd., Science and Technology Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG2 9GW, UK.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vulevic
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AP, UK.
authors.forename: Glenn R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Clasado Research Services Ltd., Science and Technology Centre, University of Reading, Reading RG2 9GW, UK.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tzortzis
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Research Centre, Life Sciences Department, Whitelands College, University of Roehampton, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costabile
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000382:microbiology*; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000378:metabolism; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D003013:Clostridium / Q000378:metabolism; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D019344:Lactic Acid; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism; D064307:Microbiota; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D056692:Prebiotics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: B-GOS; SCFAs; autism; gut microbiota; in vitro fermentation; prebiotics