The Effects of Rebaudioside A on Microbial Diversity in Mouse Intestine

Abstract

Rebaudioside A (RA), a natural high potency sweetener, is isolated from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, and has potential for wide use in our diet today. To investigate the effect of RA on the changes of microbial diversity in animal intestinal tract, the viable cell count and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) method were used to monitor the microbial number and species in vivo, and before that, we also evaluated its influence on the growth of some selected bacteria in vitro. Our results indicated that the RA had little or no effect on the growth of E. coli O157 H7, S. typhimurium, L. monocytogenes and B. longum, while could promote the growth of L. plantarum and inhibit that of S. aureus in vitro; moreover, the viable cell count and DGGE results confirmed that the RA posed little pressure on the composition of total bacteria, enterobacteria and lactobacilli in vivo. In conclusion, RA posed little pressure on the growth and the composition of microbes, suggesting it is safe for gut microbes.

Effect of Chronic Consumption of Sweeteners on Microbiota and Immunity in the Small Intestine of Young Mice

“…In the study conducted by Li et al , in 2014 [53], they evaluated the in vitro effect of Rebaudioside A on bacterial growth and observed that Rebaudioside A can inhibit the growth of S. Aureus and stimulate the growth of L. plantarum . These results indicate that Rebaudioside A can inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and stimulate the growth of probiotic microorganisms.…”

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni bioactive effects: From in vivo to clinical trials towards future therapeutic approaches

“…Rebaudioside A showed little or no effect on the growth of Escherichia coli O157 H7, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bifidobacterium longum, although it could promote the growth of Lactobacillus plantarum and inhibit Staphylococcus in vitro; also, rebaudioside A posed little pressure on the composition of total bacteria, enterobacteria, and lactobacilli in vivo, suggesting that it is safe for gut microbes (Li et al, 2014). Kumari and Chandra (2015) found that S. reubaudiana secondary metabolites also had in vitro antimicrobial activity against other bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas fluorescence, and E. coli (Kumari & Chandra, 2015).…”

“…Rebaudioside A showed little or no effect on the growth of Escherichia coli O157 H7, Salmonella typhimurium , Listeria monocytogenes , and Bifidobacterium longum , although it could promote the growth of Lactobacillus plantarum and inhibit Staphylococcus in vitro; also, rebaudioside A posed little pressure on the composition of total bacteria, enterobacteria, and lactobacilli in vivo, suggesting that it is safe for gut microbes (Li et al, ).…”

Low Calorie Sweeteners Differ in Their Physiological Effects in Humans

“…In addition to the different biological fates of the LCS, there are other factors that may influence differences in LCS effects on the gut microbiotathat make it difficult to interpret outcomes. Many animal studies use LCS in amounts in excess of the ADI [137,143,144,145], rendering extrapolations of findings to humans questionable. While animal studies typically use a controlled diet with LCS consumption, the human studies mentioned above did not control diet.…”