Abstract
Modifying the intestinal microbiome has been shown to influence behavior and brain development in selected rodent models. This study assessed the impact of consuming dietary prebiotics polydextrose (PDX) and galactooligosaccharide (GOS) during normal early postnatal development on cognition, social‐ and anxiety‐related behaviors in rodents. Weanling male C57BL/6J mice, SD and LE rats (N=12 each) were fed control or prebiotic diet (7 g/kg and 15 g/kg PDX‐GOS for rat and mouse, respectively) from postnatal day (pd) 21 throughout the behavioral testing at pd 50. Memory was assessed using the time‐dependent version of novel object recognition. Social behavior was evaluated using the social interaction test and anxiety was assessed using the marble burying test. Mice fed the prebiotic diet buried fewer marbles (P<0.05) and prebiotic fed SD rats displayed more positive social interactions (P<0.01) than the control groups. The novel object recognition test revealed that prebiotic fed LE rats had a significantly higher recognition index than rats fed control diet (P<0.05). Body weight, water and food intake did not differ between the diet groups. These results indicate that dietary prebiotics have the potential to improve memory and social behaviors while reducing anxiety‐like behaviors in normally developing animals. Assessment of the gut microbiome is underway to probe possible mechanisms behind these effects.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
