Abstract
The administration of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) beneficially modulates gastrointestinal functions and may enhance the metabolism of polyphenols. However, different polyphenolic components in the diet may have different influences on the activities of the digestive enzymes and microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, a 4-week study of forty-eight male Wistar rats was conducted to investigate the physiological response of the rat cecal environment to diets without and with FOS that contained two different strawberry polyphenolic extracts, specifically EP (polyphenolic profile 60, 35, 5, and 0% ellagitannins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, anthocyanins, respectively) and EPA (polyphenolic profile: 50, 35, 6, and 9%, respectively). When combined with FOS, both extracts beneficially enhanced the acidification of the cecal digesta (P≤0.05 vs the groups without extracts), but the dietary combination of EPA and FOS elicited the greatest reduction in putrefactive short-chain fatty acid production and the lowest fecal β-glucuronidase activity in the cecum (P≤0.05 vs group EP). Moreover, the addition of dietary FOS elevated the metabolism of the examined strawberry extracts in the cecum and thereby increased the concentrations of the metabolites in the cecal digesta and urine (P≤0.05 vs the group with cellulose). Overall, both strawberry extracts modulated the effects of FOS in the gastrointestinal tract; however, the combination with EPA extract that contained anthocyanins exhibited greater beneficial effects in the lower gut environment than the EP extract.
Highlights
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a specific group of linear fructans that occur in many plants
A two-way ANOVA revealed that the dietary FOS significantly increased the relative full mass of the small intestine and caused a significant decrease in the pH of digesta in this segment of the gastrointestinal tract
A two-way ANOVA revealed that the strawberry extract EPA led to an increase in the bulk of the cecal digesta compared with the control and EP dietary treatments (P = 0.024)
Summary
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a specific group of linear fructans that occur in many plants. These compounds are a constituent of dietary fiber, are broken down by specific bacteria in the hindgut and are categorized as substances with prebiotic properties [1]. The consumption of dietary FOS may enhance the metabolism of polyphenols [3, 4]. Metabolites, such as those from ellagitannins (ETs), may have favorable effects on the levels and proportions of cholesterol fractions, blood lipid levels, and vascular inflammation [5, 6]. Little information about the interaction between polyphenols and FOS in the gastrointestinal tract is available
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