Abstract
Unbalanced dietary habits and the consumption of high protein and instant foods cause an increase in constipation. Here, we evaluated the effects of galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) on a rat model of loperamide-induced constipation by measuring various biological markers and cecal microbiota. The fecal water content and intestinal transit ratio significantly increased in the GOS-administered (GL and GH) groups than in the control group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). The length of intestinal mucosa (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) and area of crypt cells were (p < 0.01, both) significantly increased in the GOS-administered groups compared to the control group. The distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal, which is related to the intestinal movement, showed a significant increase in GOS-administered groups than in the control group (p < 0.01, both). The relative abundance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), especially Lactobacillus and Lactococcus, significantly increased in the GL group than in the control group. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and the gut microbiota in the GL groups. These results demonstrated that GOS administration effectively alleviates constipation by increasing LAB proliferation in the intestinal microbiota and SCFA production.
Highlights
In the modern society, the prevalence of constipation is increasing owing to animal-based and instant foods and unbalanced dietary habits [1,2]
Constipation is one of the most common bowel and digestive problems where feces remain in the bowel for a long time and moisture is absorbed by the bowels; it results in infrequent bowel movement, leading to obstructed defecation, prolonged stay in the bathroom, and hardened feces [3]
There was an insignificant difference in the fecal number between the normal and control groups
Summary
The prevalence of constipation is increasing owing to animal-based and instant foods and unbalanced dietary habits [1,2]. Constipation is a symptom rather than a disease, the causes determine effective treatment methods such as regular eating habits, laxatives, enema, dietary fiber, and probiotics [4,5]. Dietary fiber is a food component that is not digested by intestinal enzymes, but causes absorption of moisture from the colon to make the bowels soft and voluminous [6,7,8] and facilitates bacterial growth in the colon to make the bowels bigger. Insoluble fibers are fermented by the colon bacteria, and the resulting metabolites help relieve constipation [7]
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