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Oral Administration of Clostridium butyricum for Modulating Gastrointestinal Microflora in Mice

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the safety of Clostridium butyricum and to investigate the effect of C. butyricum on mice ecosystem in the intestinal tract by way of examining the population of different microorganisms isolated from caecal contents. We firstly evaluated the safety of C. butyricum using acute toxicity test and Ames test. Then forty male BALB/c mice were divided into the following four treatment groups, each consisting of ten mice: normal group, low-dose group, medium-dose group and high-dose group. Caecal contents were removed aseptically, immediately placed into an anaerobic chamber, and dissolved in sterile pre-reduced PBS. The determination of Enterococcus spp., Enterobacter spp., Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp. and Clostridium perfringens was analyzed by the spread plate method, cell morphologies and biochemical profiles. The results showed the oral maximum tolerated dose of C. butyricum was more than 10 g/kg body weight in mice and no mutagenicity judged by negative experimental results of Ames test. And in medium- and high-dose groups, the populations of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. increased in caecum, as well as the ratios of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. to Clostridium perfringens (P < 0.01) as compared with the normal group. This research showed the intake of C. butyricum significantly improved the ecosystem of the intestinal tract in BALB/c mice by increasing the amount of probiotics and reducing the populations of unwanted bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the research grant from the Department of Science and Technology of Shandong Province (2008BS02023), People’s Republic of China. The technical assistance received from Xijing Yin and Aiqing Jiang in Ocean University of China is appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China

    Qing Kong, Ji-Lei Jia & Qi-Long Zhu

  2. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310029, China

    Guo-Qing He & Hui Ruan

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  1. Qing Kong
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  2. Guo-Qing He
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  3. Ji-Lei Jia
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  4. Qi-Long Zhu
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  5. Hui Ruan
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Correspondence to Guo-Qing He or Hui Ruan.

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Kong, Q., He, GQ., Jia, JL. et al. Oral Administration of Clostridium butyricum for Modulating Gastrointestinal Microflora in Mice. Curr Microbiol 62, 512–517 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9737-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9737-8

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