Inulin-type fructan degradation capacity of interesting butyrate-producing colon bacteria and cross-feeding interactions of / Faecalibacterium prausnitzii DSM 17677T with bifidobacteria

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Background

Inulin-type fructans have already been studied with respect to their stimulation of bifidobacteria and butyrate-producing colon bacteria, such as / Anaerostipes caccae and / Roseburia spp. However, much less is known about their effects on other butyrate-producing colon bacteria, such as / Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum, / Eubacterium spp. and / Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and the interactions of these species with bifidobacteria. This study aimed at investigating the kinetics of inulin-type fructan degradation and organic acid and gas production by / B. pullicaecorum DSM 23266T, / E. hallii L2-7, / E. rectale CIP 105953T, and / F. prausnitzii DSM 17677T and the possible interactions between / F. prausnitzii DSM 17677T and bifidobacteria.

Materials and methods

All butyrate-producing strains were studied during screening experiments (100-ml scale) and monoculture fermentations (1.5-l scale) in a medium for colon bacteria (MCB) containing either fructose, oligofructose, or long-chain inulin as an ene