Abstract
The interest in fermented food products has been increasing in recent years. Details about their microbial composition and the effects of their consumption on the human gut microbiome are of particular interest. However, evidence regarding their potential to increase gut microbial diversity, a measure likely associated with health, is lacking. To address this, we analyzed the microbial composition of commercially available fermented vegetables using 16S rRNA sequencing. We also conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of studying the effects of regular consumption of fermented vegetables on the gut microbiome. Six healthy male volunteers participated in a randomized crossover trial, with two two-week intervention phases. Volunteers consumed 150 g/d of either sauerkraut or a variety of six different commercially available fermented vegetables. This study is registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS-ID: DRKS00014840). Lactobacillales was the dominant family in all fermented vegetables studied. However, the alpha diversity, richness and evenness of the microbiota differed substantially among the different products. The number of species per product varied between 20 and 95. After consumption of both sauerkraut and the selection of fermented vegetables, we observed a slight increase in alpha diversity. Specifically, the amount of the genus Prevotella decreased while the amount of Bacteroides increased after both interventions. However, these initial observations need to be confirmed in larger studies. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of this type of research.
Highlights
Fermented foods have been part of the human diet for centuries and have been associated with various health benefits including longevity, reduced risk of metabolic and immune-mediated disease and overall health [1,2]
In addition to prolonging shelf-life, fermentation increases the nutritional value of food products—potentially beneficial metabolites including vitamins, bioactive peptides and phytochemicals are synthesized during the fermentation process [4]
We investigated the bacterial content of various commercially available fermented vegetables and conducted a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a feeding study with these products
Summary
Fermented foods have been part of the human diet for centuries and have been associated with various health benefits including longevity, reduced risk of metabolic and immune-mediated disease and overall health [1,2]. Lactic acid fermentation is a common type of fermentation. This process is for example used for the production of sauerkraut or kimchi. Lactic acid bacteria metabolize carbohydrates present in the raw vegetables into lactic acid. This leads to a drop in pH, which prevents the growth of undesirable microbes such as molds and prevents mal-fermentation [5]. Lactic acid fermentation can be induced by adding salt at a concentration of approximately 2% (brine) to the shredded vegetables and creating an anaerobic environment, which favors the growth of lactic acid
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