Effects of 2'‐fucosyllactose on the composition and metabolic activity of intestinal microbiota from piglets after in vitro fermentation

Abstract

BackgroundAs indigestible carbohydrates, milk oligosaccharides exert various benefits for newborns mainly through intestinal microbiota, among which 2’‐fucosyllactose (2’‐FL) is the most predominant milk oligosaccharide. However, knowledge about the fermentative characteristics of 2’‐FL in the gut remains limited, especially in the small intestine. Therefore, this study aims to explore the differential fermentability of 2’‐FL by the small and large intestinal microbiota of piglets using fructo‐oligosaccharide (FOS) and lactose considered as the positive control groups by an in vitro batch fermentation experiment. During the fermentation, the microbial composition was characterized along with gas production and short‐chain fatty acid production.Results2’‐FL showed differential fermentability in the jejunal and colonic fermentation. Compared with the colon, 2’‐FL produced less gas in the jejunum, which was less than in the FOS and lactose groups (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, 2’‐FL exhibited a different influence on the microbial composition and metabolism in the jejunum and colon compared with FOS and lactose. In the jejunum, compared with the FOS and lactose groups, the 2’‐FL group showed a higher abundance of Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Blautia but a lower abundance of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus (P < 0.05), with a higher level of propionate and lower level of lactate during fermentation (P < 0.05). In the colon, compared with the FOS and lactose groups, 2’‐FL increased the abundance of Blautia, Faecalibacterium, and Lachnospiraceae FCS020 groups but decreased the abundance of Prevotella_9, Succinivibrio, and Megasphaera (P < 0.05) with the increase in acetate production (P < 0.05).ConclusionOverall, the results suggested that the small intestinal microbiota had a potential ability to ferment the milk oligosaccharides. Meanwhile, compared with FOS and lactose, 2’‐FL selectively stimulated the growth of propionate‐producing bacteria in the jejunum and acetate‐producing bacteria in the colon. These results demonstrated the differences in fermentation properties of 2’‐FL by the small and large intestinal microbiota and provided new evidence for the application of 2’‐FL in optimizing gut microbiota.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.