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Butyrate production from oligofructose fermentation by the human faecal flora: what is the contribution of extracellular acetate and lactate?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Douglas J. Morrison ,
William G. Mackay ,
Christine A. Edwards ,
Tom Preston ,
Brian Dodson  and
Lawrence T. Weaver
Douglas J. Morrison*
Affiliation:
Division of Developmental Medicine, University of Glasgow, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK Stable Isotope Biochemistry Laboratory, SUERC, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK
William G. Mackay
Affiliation:
Division of Developmental Medicine, University of Glasgow, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK
Christine A. Edwards
Affiliation:
Division of Developmental Medicine, University of Glasgow, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK
Tom Preston
Affiliation:
Stable Isotope Biochemistry Laboratory, SUERC, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK
Brian Dodson
Affiliation:
School of Science and Technology, Bell College of Technology, Hamilton ML3 0JB, UK
Lawrence T. Weaver
Affiliation:
Division of Developmental Medicine, University of Glasgow, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Douglas J. Morrison, fax +44 (0)1355 229898, email D.morrison@suerc.gla.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Butyrate is an important substrate for maintenance of colonic health and oligofructose fermentation by human faecal bacteria can increase butyrate production in vitro. However, oligofructose appears to be fermented by mainly acetate and lactate-producing bacteria rather than butyrate-producing bacteria. Isotope labelling studies using [U-13C6]glucose were used to show that 13C2 and 13C4 were the major labelled butyrate species produced from glucose fermentation, via [13C2]acetate–acetyl CoA as intermediate. Bacterial interconversion reactions were quantified and acetate conversion to butyrate and lactate conversion to acetate, propionate and butyrate were observed. Addition of oligofructose to faecal batch cultures significantly increased butyrate production. Of the newly synthesised butyrate from oligofructose fermentation, 80% was derived from interconversion of extracellular acetate and lactate, with acetate being quantitatively more significant. Carbohydrates, such as oligofructose, have prebiotic properties. In addition, oligofructose selectively stimulates the bacterial conversion of acetate and lactate to butyrate. Carbohydrates with similar properties represent a refinement of the prebiotic definition, termed butyrogenic prebiotics, because of their additional functionality.

Keywords

Short-chain fatty acidsButyrateStable isotopesOligofructoseFermentation
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 96 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 570 - 577
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2006

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