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Influence of resistant starch on the SCFA production and cell counts of butyrate‐producing Eubacterium spp. in the human intestine
Author(s) -
Schwiertz A.,
Lehmann U.,
Jacobasch G.,
Blaut M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2672.2002.01679.x
Subject(s) - eubacterium , butyrate , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , clostridium , ruminococcus , bacteria , human feces , butyric acid , biochemistry , resistant starch , food science , feces , fermentation , starch , genetics
Aims: The genus Eubacterium , which is the second most common genus in the human intestine, includes several known butyrate producers. We hypothesized that Eubacterium species play a role in the intestinal butyrate production and are inducible by resistant starch. Methods and Results: In a human pilot study species‐specific and group‐specific 16S rRNA‐targeted, Cy3 (indocarbocyanine)‐labelled oligonucleotide probes were used to quantify butyrogenic species of the genera Eubacterium , Clostridium and Ruminococcus . Following the intake of RS type III a significant increase in faecal butyrate but not in total SCFA was observed. However, increase in butyrate was not accompanied by a proliferation in the targeted bacteria. Conclusions: The tested Eubacterium species have the capacity to produce butyrate but do not appear to play a major role for butyric acid production in the human intestine. Significance and Impact of the Study: In view of the fact that the bacteria responsible for butyrate production are largely unknown, it is still difficult to devise a dietary intervention to stimulate butyrogenic bacteria in a targeted way.