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scFOS and GOS individually and in combination affect fecal microbial ecology, fermentative end‐products but not immune characteristics of healthy adult cats
Author(s) -
Kanakupt Krasae,
Vester Boler Brittany M.,
Dunsford Bart R.,
Fahey George C.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.725.10
Subject(s) - prebiotic , cats , feces , butyrate , zoology , biology , chemistry , food science , medicine , fermentation , microbiology and biotechnology
Short‐chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are non‐digestible oligosaccharides that result in a prebiotic effect in select animals; however, the cat has not been well studied in this regard. This experiment evaluated scFOS and GOS supplementation on fecal microbial ecology, fermentative end‐products, and immune characteristics of cats. Eight healthy adult cats were fed diets containing no prebiotic, 0.5% scFOS, 0.5% GOS, or 0.5% scFOS + 0.5% GOS (FOS+GOS) in a 4×4 Latin square design. Cats fed FOS‐, GOS‐ and FOS+GOS‐supplemented diets had greater (P<0.05) fecal bifidobacteria populations. Fecal pH was lower (P<0.05) in cats fed FOS+GOS‐supplemented diets compared to controls. Butyrate (P=0.05) and valerate (P<0.05) were greater when cats consumed the FOS+GOS diet. Acetate (P=0.10) tended to be greater when cats were fed the FOS+GOS diet. Total SCFA (P=0.08) and total BCFA (P=0.07) tended to be greater when cats consumed the FOS+GOS treatment. Fecal protein catabolites including ammonia, 4‐methylphenol, indole, and biogenic amines did not differ among treatments, nor did blood lymphocytes, neutrophils, or total white blood cell counts, or fecal dry matter and fecal output. Low level supplementation of FOS, GOS and the combination of scFOS and GOS exert positive effects on select indices of gut health of cats.