Effects of short-chain fructooligosaccharides on growth performance of preruminant veal calves.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of 2 different daily doses of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), a prebiotic ingredient, added to a calf milk replacer on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and fecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids of preruminant veal calves. In total, 112 male Prim'Holstein calves, between 8 and 10d of age, were randomized in this study according to their body weight and were bred until the age of 168 d. They were fed a calf milk replacer containing 5% soluble wheat proteins as well as cereal-based pellets, the composition of which was adapted to cover the needs of the animals throughout the study. After 2 wk of adaptation, the calf milk replacer was supplemented or not supplemented with a daily dose of 3 or 6g of scFOS. Growth performance of calves, as measured by body weight, cold carcass weight, feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio, was recorded and feces samples were taken to evaluate short-chain fatty acid concentrations. The inclusion of wheat proteins in milk replacer did not negatively affect the growth performance of calves in comparison with general standards. The addition of scFOS in the milk reduced the feed conversion ratio of veal calves in a dose-dependent manner and tended to increase the carcass weight. A general trend was observed for an increased production of total short-chain fatty acids in time, but scFOS decreased acetate proportion to the benefit of butyrate proportion. These data suggest that inclusion of scFOS in the calf milk replacer allowed the growth performance of preruminant calves to be enhanced, possibly via a modification of the activities of microbial fermentation.

Structure and function of non-digestible carbohydrates in the gut microbiome.

Together with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients in the human diet. Digestible carbohydrates, such as starch, starch-based products, sucrose, lactose, glucose and some sugar alcohols and unusual (and fairly rare) α-linked glucans, directly provide us with energy while other carbohydrates including high molecular weight polysaccharides, mainly from plant cell walls, provide us with dietary fibre. Carbohydrates which are efficiently digested in the small intestine are not available in appreciable quantities to act as substrates for gut bacteria. Some oligo- and polysaccharides, many of which are also dietary fibres, are resistant to digestion in the small intestines and enter the colon where they provide substrates for the complex bacterial ecosystem that resides there. This review will focus on these non-digestible carbohydrates (NDC) and examine their impact on the gut microbiota and their physiological impact. Of particular focus will be the potential of non-digestible carbohydrates to act as prebiotics, but the review will also evaluate direct effects of NDC on human cells and systems.

Effects of scFOS on the composition of fecal microbiota and anxiety in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) have beneficial effects in subjects with minor digestive complaints, but the potential mechanisms involved have not been elucidated. The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in rectal sensitivity related to the clinical effects of scFOS in a selected group of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and rectal hypersensitivity. METHODS: In 79 IBS patients (defined by Rome III criteria) with rectal hypersensitivity (defined as discomfort threshold ≤44 g) a parallel, placebo-controlled, randomized, and double-blind study was performed to assess the effects of dietary supplementation (5 g d-1 ) with scFOS vs placebo for 4 weeks on rectal sensitivity (primary outcome: tolerance to increasing wall tension applied by a tensostat), clinical outcomes (IBS, anxiety/depression and quality of life scores) and composition of fecal microbiota. KEY RESULTS: Rectal discomfort threshold, and IBS and quality of life scores, significantly improved during treatment, but in a similar manner in both scFOS and placebo groups; a post-hoc analysis showed that the effect of scFOS on rectal sensitivity was more pronounced in constipation-predominant-IBS patients (P=.051 vs placebo). Contrary with placebo, scFOS significantly reduced anxiety scores and increased fecal Bifidobacteria (P<.05 for both) without modifying other bacterial groups. CONCLUSIONS & INTERFENCES: The effect of scFOS on anxiety may be related to modulation of the gut microbiota; demonstration of effects of scFOS on rectal sensitivity may require higher doses and may depend on the IBS subgroup.

Postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in adults after consumption of dairy desserts and pound cakes containing short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides used to replace sugars.

The present studies aimed to evaluate the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses, in healthy adults, to short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) from sucrose used to replace sugars in foods. Two study populations aged 18-50 years were recruited and they consumed dairy desserts or pound cakes containing either standard sugar content or scFOS to replace 30 % of the sugar content. For each study, the two products were tested once under a double-blind and cross-over design with at least 7 d between the two tests. Glucose and insulin were measured using standard methods in blood samples collected with a venous catheter for 120 min during a kinetic test. For the dairy desserts, replacing 30 % of the sugars with scFOS significantly reduced postprandial glycaemic (AUC0-120 min; P = 0·020) and insulinaemic (AUC0-120 min; P = 0·003) responses. For the pound cakes, the glycaemic response was not altered (AUC0-120 min; P =  0·322) while the insulinaemic response tended to be lower (AUC0-120 min; P = 0·067). This study showed that scFOS can be used to replace sugars with the benefit of lowering the postprandial glycaemic response without increasing the insulinaemic response. The effect might be modulated by other parameters (e.g. fat content) of the food matrices.

Digestive tolerance and postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses after consumption of dairy desserts containing maltitol and fructo-oligosaccharides in adults.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the short-term digestive tolerance and glycaemic response of several associations of maltitol and short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) used to replace sugars (for example, dextrose) in foods. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Thirty-six healthy subjects aged 18-60 years were recruited for the study and 32 completed it. The subjects consumed six different mixtures of dextrose, maltitol and scFOS added in a chocolate dairy dessert at a dosage of 35 g. The test days were separated by 2-week washout periods. The subjects reported the intensity of four individual gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, number of bowel movements and stool frequency for the 48 h following consumption of the dessert. A subgroup of 18 subjects also provided blood samples 2 h after intake to evaluate the postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses. RESULTS: The composite score calculated from the intensity of flatulence, borborygmi, bloating and discomfort was significantly higher (P<0.0001) for all the desserts containing maltitol and/or scFOS than for the control dessert containing dextrose, but remains at the level of mild effects. The number of bowel movements was also slightly increased (P=0.0006) and the stools were softer (P=0.0045) for the first 24 h but not after (P=0.1373 and 0.5420, respectively). Blood glycaemic and insulinaemic responses were lower for all the sugar-free recipes containing maltitol and scFOS in comparison to the control one (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that maltitol and scFOS can be used jointly when formulating sugar-free foods with the benefit to lower postprandial glycaemic response with only a small and transient increase in non-serious GI symptoms.

Dietary supplementation with short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides improves insulin sensitivity in obese horses.

Obesity and insulin resistance are risk factors for laminitis in horses and ponies, and diet can play an important role in modulating these risk factors. Dietary supplementation with prebiotic fibers, such as short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS), has resulted in improvement of insulin sensitivity in obese dogs and rodents. Thus, we hypothesized that scFOS may reduce insulin resistance in obese horses and designed a study to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with scFOS on insulin sensitivity. Eight mature Arabian geldings (BW = 523.0 ± 56.5 kg) with an average BCS of 8 were included in a crossover study. In each period, 4 horses were provided 45 g/d per horse of maltodextrin (control) and 4 horses received the same amount of scFOS for 6 wk, with a 3-wk washout between periods. Resting plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and leptin were measured. Minimal model analysis of a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test was used to evaluate insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, acute insulin response to glucose, and disposition index. Without affecting BW and BCS, dietary supplementation with scFOS increased (P < 0.05) insulin sensitivity and reduced (P < 0.05) acute insulin response to glucose in comparison with maltodextrin but did not alter (P > 0.05) glucose effectiveness and disposition index. Resting serum insulin concentration also was reduced (P < 0.05) by scFOS supplementation but not by maltodextrin (P > 0.05). There was no effect (P > 0.05) of scFOS supplementation on plasma glucose or serum triglyceride and leptin concentrations. This study demonstrated that scFOS can moderately improve insulin sensitivity of obese horses, a finding that has potential relevance to the dietary management of obese, insulin-resistant horses at increased risk for laminitis.

Effects of dietary short-chain fructooligosaccharides on the intestinal microflora of horses subjected to a sudden change in diet.

Prebiotic compounds, such as short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), have been shown to improve health, welfare, or both, in several species, but few studies have been conducted in horses, despite the sensitivity of their hindgut microflora. We hypothesized that prebiotic oligosaccharides, known to be able to stabilize the intestinal microflora in other species, would be of importance in horses. Our study was designed to evaluate the effect of scFOS supplementation on the equine intestinal microflora and to assess its effectiveness in reducing hindgut microbial disturbances related to sudden diet changes. Four adult geldings were allotted by weight into 2 groups and assigned to diets with and without (control) scFOS supplementation for 21 d in a crossover design. Cecal and colonic contents were collected through cannulas to assess the effect of an abrupt incorporation of barley in the diet of horses on microbial populations and fermentation variables. The addition of barley to the control diet caused substantial changes in the colonic microflora, such as increases (P < 0.05) in the concentration in total anaerobes, lactobacilli, streptococci, and lactate-utilizing bacteria. The scFOS supplementation reduced the barley intake-related changes. In contrast to the control diet, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus populations did not increase. Although the colonic d-lactate concentration increased (P < 0.05) after the meal of barley in the control group, it did not accumulate with scFOS supplementation. These data indicate that a scFOS supplementation would be effective in reducing disruptions of the microbial populations in the equine hindgut under stressful situations like acute starch overloads.

Effects of dietary scFOS on immunoglobulins in colostrums and milk of bitches.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) are prebiotic ingredients that improve protection against pathogens probably through promoting the growth of gastrointestinal bacteria-like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli: this stimulation may lead to a better development of immune repertoire and/or stimulation of the local immune response. According to the existence of the immune entero-mammary link, we were wondering if the dietary supplementation with scFOS could enhance the mucosal immunoglobulin level in mammary secretions. Results in this study show that bitches supplemented with scFOS exhibit higher colostrum and milk IgM content without concomitant effect on IgG1, IgG2 and IgA. In addition, intranasally immunized puppies exhibited a trend to higher Bordetella bronchiseptica-specific IgM immune response. The dietary supplementation with scFOS increased the IgM level in colostrums and milk of bitches by mechanisms which remain to be elucidated.

Urinary excretion of dietary contaminants in horses.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Presence of drugs is completely prohibited in post racing urine samples by most of racing and competition authorities, even if environmental contamination might occur. OBJECTIVES: To assess the daily dose of several contaminants absorbed through the diet that would result in detectable concentrations in urine. METHODS: Caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, atropine, scopolamine, bufotenine, DMT or morphine were administered orally to 6 horses, in different dosages, for 3 days before their urine was sampled for regular anti-doping tests. RESULTS: Theobromine, theophylline, bufotenine and morphine daily intake >10 mg, 2 mg, 10 mg and 200 microg, respectively, by a performance horse, were found to result in detectable urinary concentrations. At the 2 tested doses, atropine (5 and 15 mg) and dimethyltryptamine (3 and 10 mg) were not detected in urine. For caffeine and scopolamine, even the lowest dosage tested (5 mg/horse/day and 2 mg/horse/day respectively) induced detectable concentrations of the molecule in urine. CONCLUSIONS: Horses fed dietary contaminants, even at level much below the effective dosage, may be positive to antidoping urine analysis. Further research is needed to gain more confident results on a daily safe intake for caffeine and scopolamine. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Selection of feed materials appears to be of great importance to prevent non voluntary positive result to anti-doping tests.