Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103 and Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC 53608 Synergistically Boost Butyrate Levels upon Tributyrin Administration Ex Vivo

Abstract

Modulation of the gut microbiota is a trending strategy to improve health. While butyrate has been identified as a key health-related microbial metabolite, managing its supply to the host remains challenging. Therefore, this study investigated the potential to manage butyrate supply via tributyrin oil supplementation (TB; glycerol with three butyrate molecules) using the ex vivo SIFR® (Systemic Intestinal Fermentation Research) technology, a highly reproducible, in vivo predictive gut model that accurately preserves in vivo-derived microbiota and enables addressing interpersonal differences. Dosing 1 g TB/L significantly increased butyrate with 4.1 (±0.3) mM, corresponding with 83 ± 6% of the theoretical butyrate content of TB. Interestingly, co-administration of Limosilactobacillus reuteri ATCC 53608 (REU) and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103 (LGG) markedly enhanced butyrate to levels that exceeded the theoretical butyrate content of TB (138 ± 11% for REU; 126 ± 8% for LGG). Both TB + REU and TB + LGG stimulated Coprococcus catus, a lactate-utilizing, butyrate-producing species. The stimulation of C. catus with TB + REU was remarkably consistent across the six human adults tested. It is hypothesized that LGG and REU ferment the glycerol backbone of TB to produce lactate, a precursor of butyrate. TB + REU also significantly stimulated the butyrate-producing Eubacterium rectale and Gemmiger formicilis and promoted microbial diversity. The more potent effects of REU could be due to its ability to convert glycerol to reuterin, an antimicrobial compound. Overall, both the direct butyrate release from TB and the additional butyrate production via REU/LGG-mediated cross-feeding were highly consistent. This contrasts with the large interpersonal differences in butyrate production that are often observed upon prebiotic treatment. Combining TB with LGG and especially REU is thus a promising strategy to consistently supply butyrate to the host, potentially resulting in more predictable health benefits.

Serum-Derived Bovine Immunoglobulin Promotes Barrier Integrity and Lowers Inflammation for 24 Human Adults Ex Vivo

“…Altogether, this technique enables the successful translation of laboratory findings on gut microbiome modulation (down to species level) to clinical observations [ 13 ]. Applications of the SIFR ® technology meanwhile range from characterizing the microbiome-modulating potential of probiotics [ 14 ], prebiotics [ 13 , 15 ], sweeteners [ 16 ], development of synbiotics [ 14 ], age-specific ingredients [ 17 ] and investigation of fiber specificity [ 15 ], along with studying microbial diversity (using novel indices) [ 18 ]. So far, no studies have been performed to explore how gut microbiome modulation in SIFR ® technology-derived samples translates to effects on intestinal barrier integrity and/or immune functioning.…”