A Pectin-Rich, Baobab Fruit Pulp Powder Exerts Prebiotic Potential on the Human Gut Microbiome In Vitro

Martin Foltz,Massimo Marzorati,Alicia Christin Zahradnik,Pieter Van Den Abbeele,Jonas Ghyselinck

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9091981

Martin Foltz, Massimo Marzorati + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9091981

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Journal: Microorganisms	Publication Date: Sep 17, 2021
Citations: 10	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: ProDigest (Belgium), Ghent University

Abstract

Increasing insight into the impact of the gut microbiota on human health has sustained the development of novel prebiotic ingredients. This exploratory study evaluated the prebiotic potential of baobab fruit pulp powder, which consists of pectic polysaccharides with unique composition as compared to other dietary sources, given that it is rich in low methoxylated homogalacturonan (HG). After applying dialysis procedures to remove simple sugars from the product (simulating their absorption along the upper gastrointestinal tract), 48 h fecal batch incubations were performed. Baobab fruit pulp powder boosted colonic acidification across three simulated human adult donors due to the significant stimulation of health-related metabolites acetate (+18.4 mM at 48 h), propionate (+5.5 mM at 48 h), and to a lesser extent butyrate (0.9 mM at 48 h). Further, there was a trend of increased lactate levels (+2.7 mM at 6h) and reduced branched chain fatty acid (bCFA) levels (−0.4 mM at 48 h). While Bacteroidetes levels increased for all donors, donor-dependent increases in Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli, and Firmicutes were observed, stressing the potential interindividual differences in microbial composition modulation upon Baobab fruit pulp powder treatment. Overall, Baobab fruit pulp powder fermentation displayed features of selective utilization by host microorganisms and, thus, has promising prebiotic potential (also in comparison with the ‘gold standard’ prebiotic inulin). Further research will be required to better characterize this prebiotic potential, accounting for the interindividual differences, while aiming to unravel the potential resulting health benefits.

Highlights

This study aimed to investigate the prebiotic potential of a novel ingredient rich in pectin-based polysaccharides
The present study investigated the prebiotic potential of baobab fruit pulp powder, rich in pectin-based fibers with a low degree of methyl esterification and consisting mainly of homogalacturonan (HG)
Subject to interindividual variation at the microbial composition level, baobab fruit pulp powder constituently stimulated the production of health-related acetate, propionate, and to lesser extent butyrate

Summary

Introduction

The human gut harbors an enormous number of bacteria which strongly affect human health [1,2]. Colonic bacteria ferment nutrients and fibers that are undigestible to the host, thereby producing a multitude of metabolites. Among these metabolites, the health-promoting short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate, and butyrate have received large interest in the past few decades [4,5]. The extent and the nature of metabolites produced strongly depend on the bacterial community composition, which is shaped by myriad parameters, with the diet being of utmost importance [6,7,8]. While there is a need for better controlling and registering the factors that drive the interindividual variation in gut microbiome composition [11], it is crucial to include multiple human subjects when screening new ingredients to account for such interindividual differences

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