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Short-chain fructooligosaccharides, in spite of being fermented in the upper part of the large intestine, have anti-inflammatory activity in the TNBS model of colitis

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An Erratum to this article was published on 07 September 2006

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effect of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on intestinal inflammation. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether the colonic fermentation of these carbohydrates is a pre-requisite for this anti-inflammatory activity.

With this aim short chain-FOS (SC-FOS) were used for an in vitro fermentation to elucidate the time of fermentation of these compounds. For the in vivo experiments female Wistar rats were fed several diets with different sources of fibre (5 g/kg): cellulose for control rats (n = 30) or SC-FOS (n = 20) with a high content of kestose (GF2) for the SC-FOS group. After one month of feeding the different diets 10 rats from each group were sacrificed to analyze cecal and colonic microflora, SCFA production and pH of intestinal contents. A distal colonic inflammation was induced to other 10 rats from each group by the administration of 10 mg of TNBS dissolved in 0.25 ml of 50% ethanol (v/v). The rest of the rats from the control group (n = 10) were rendered healthy. One week after TNBS treatment rats were sacrificed and several inflammatory parameters as well as intestinal microbiota and SCFA contents were analyzed.

In vitro fermentation experiments showed that SC-FOS are fermented during the first 12 h after incorporating the oligosaccharides to intestinal contents, thus suggesting a preferential fermentation of these carbohydrates in the ileum and cecum. In fact, SC-FOS increased cecal lactobacilli and bifidobacteria counts as well as SCFA production in healthy rats. In colitic rats, SC-FOS feeding caused a decrease of MPO activity, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production and iNOS expression. This anti-inflammatory effect was evidenced macroscopically by a significant reduction in the extent of colonic damage. SC-FOS also promoted a more favorable intestinal microbiota, increasing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria counts.

In conclusion, although oligosaccharides are preferentially fermented in the upper parts of the large intestine, its prebiotic effect is extended to the distal colonic segments, thus exerting a positive effect on colonic inflammation.

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Abbreviations

DSS::

dextran sodium sulfate

FOS::

Fructooligosaccharides

GF::

β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-α-d-gluco-pyranose

GF2::

Kestose (β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-α-d-gluco-pyranose)

GF3::

Nystose (β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-β-d-fructo-furanosyl-(2,1)-α-d-glucopyranose)

GF4::

Fructosyl-Nystose (β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2,1)-β-d-fructo-furanosyl-(2,1)-α-d-glucopyranose)

IBD::

inflammatory bowel disease.

LTB4::

leukotriene B4.

MPO::

myeloperoxidase.

SCFA::

short-chain fatty acids.

SC-FOS::

short-chain fructooligosaccharides

SEM::

standard error medium

TNBS::

trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid

TNF-α::

tumor necosis factor-α

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Ana Nieto from Health and Progress Foundation (Granada, Spain) and Angel Concha from the hospital ‘Virgen de las Nieves’ (Granada, Spain) for their kind help in the microscopic histological analysis. We would also like to thank Dr. Arjan Geerlings for the English revision of the manuscript. Monica Comalada is a recipient of a grant from the Juan de la Cierva Program of Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology. Desirée Camuesco is a recipient of a grant form the Junta de Andalucía (Spain).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedicine, PULEVA BIOTECH, S.A., Camino de Purchil n° 66, 18004, Granada, Spain

    Federico Lara-Villoslada & Jordi Xaus

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Oscar de Haro, Desire Camuesco, Mónica Comalada, Antonio Zarzuelo & Julio Galvez

  3. Department of Biotechnology, Puleva Biotech S.A., Granada, Spain

    Javier Velasco

Authors
  1. Federico Lara-Villoslada
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  2. Oscar de Haro
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  3. Desire Camuesco
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  5. Javier Velasco
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Federico Lara-Villoslada.

Additional information

This work has been supported by Puleva Biotech own founds and by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI0121732) with funds from the European Union and Junta de Andalucía (CTS 164).

An erratum to this article is available athttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00394-006-0615-x.

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Lara-Villoslada, F., de Haro, O., Camuesco, D. et al. Short-chain fructooligosaccharides, in spite of being fermented in the upper part of the large intestine, have anti-inflammatory activity in the TNBS model of colitis. Eur J Nutr 45, 418–425 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-006-0610-2

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