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Grape Antioxidant Dietary Fiber Stimulates Lactobacillus Growth in Rat Cecum
Author(s) -
Pozuelo María José,
AgisTorres Angel,
HervertHernández Deisy,
Elvira LópezOliva María,
MuñozMartínez Emilia,
Rotger Rafael,
Goñi Isabel
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02520.x
Subject(s) - food science , lactobacillus , cecum , antioxidant , gut flora , polyphenol , dietary fiber , lactobacillus acidophilus , bifidobacterium , lactobacillus reuteri , short chain fatty acid , ingredient , prebiotic , functional food , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , probiotic , bacteria , fermentation , ecology , butyrate , genetics
The digesta is a highly active biological system where epithelial cells, microbiota, nondigestible dietary components, and a large number of metabolic products interact. The gut microbiota can be modulated by both endogenous and exogenous substrates. Undigested dietary residues are substrates for colonic microbiota and may influence gut microbial ecology. The objective of this work was to study the capacity of grape antioxidant dietary fiber (GADF), which is rich in polyphenols, to modify the bacterial profile in the cecum of rats. Male adult Wistar rats were fed for 4 wk with diets containing either cellulose or GADF as dietary fiber. The effect of GADF on bacterial growth was evaluated in vitro and on the cecal microbiota of rats using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The results showed that GADF intake stimulates proliferation of Lactobacillus and slightly affects the composition of Bifidobacterium species. GADF was also found to have a stimulative effect on Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus acidophilus in vitro. These findings suggest that the consumption of a diet rich in plant foods with high dietary fiber and polyphenol content may enhance the gastrointestinal health of the host through microbiota modulation. Practical Application: Grape antioxidant fiber combines nutritional and physiological properties of dietary fiber and natural antioxidants from grapes. Grape antioxidant fiber could be used as an ingredient for functional foods and as a dietary supplement to increase the intake of dietary fiber and bioactive compounds.