Oligofructose contributes to the protective role of bifidobacteria in experimental necrotising enterocolitis in quails

Abstract

Bifidobacteria are dominant in the gut of full-term infants, although colonisation by them is often delayed in preterm neonates. Bifidobacteria are recognised to have beneficial effects on digestive disorders and they might prevent neonatal necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a gastrointestinal disease that predominantly affects premature infants. They have been shown to protect gnotobiotic quails against NEC-like lesions when the birds were inoculated with faecal flora from preterm infants, decreasing the clostridial population. The present study was designed to investigate whether oligofructose, which stimulates the activity of bifidobacteria, may enhance their protective role. Experiments were done in eight groups of germ-free quails for 28 days. The groups differed as to their bacterial status, diet and environment. Quails were inoculated with one of two flora from premature twins. The first flora included Bijidobacterium pseudo-catenulatum, Escherichia coli and no clostridia. The second flora included clostridial species and was associated with B. infantis-longum. Caecal bacterial population and metabolism changes were investigated with a lactose (6%) diet versus a lactose-oligofructose (3%-3%) diet, either in a gnotobiotic environment or in an ordinary environment permitting post-colonisation by exogenous bacteria. In both environments and with both flora, oligofructose significantly increased the level of bifidobacteria and this was associated with a decrease of E. coli or C. perfringens and C. ramosum. The bacterial changes in the ordinary environment depended on the initial composition of the microflora and the colonisation resistance against exogenous bacteria was more efficient with the flora that included B. pseudo-catenulatum. The changes in caecal pH and short-chain fatty acids were minimal. It was demonstrated that, irrespective of the environmental conditions, the use of oligofructose helped to prevent the overgrowth of bacteria implicated in necrotising enterocolitis in preterm neonates.

Impact of Necrotizing Enterocolitis on Length of Stay and Hospital Charges in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

“…Several strategies for the prevention of NEC have been proposed including delaying of the initiation of feeding, 28,29 minimal enteral feeding regimens, 29,30 dietary supplements including egg phospholipid, 31 lactobacillus, 32,33 oligofructose, 34 and the administration of immunoglobulin G-immunoglobulin A. 35 Although these strategies may reduce the incidence of NEC, they do so at the expense of increasing LOS 36 and incurring costs for administering preventive dietary supplements unnecessarily to infants who do not go on to develop NEC.…”

Immune Responses in Rhesus Rotavirus-Challenged Balb/c Mice Treated with Bifidobacteria and Prebiotic Supplements

“…enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni (9, 10). In addition, several studies have demonstrated that consumption of certain oligosaccharides can increase the endogenous bifidobacteria level in the intestine (11,12 …”

Effect of Dietary Factors on Colonisation Resistance and Colonisation

“…The use of oligofructose could help prevent the overgrowth of bacteria implicated in necrotising enterocolitis (7). Cresci et al (8) showed in rats that a high starch diet modi ed the composition of faecal ora (prevalence of clostridia) and altered the faecal concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA).…”