Abstract
Gut microbiota development in formula‐fed and breast‐fed infants is known to differ. This could relate to the usage of unmodified vegetable oil instead of mammalian fat in infant formula (IF), causing the enhanced formation of the poorly soluble soap calcium palmitate (CP) in the infant's gut. Here we investigate in vitro the possible influence of CP on the infant gut bacteria. The growth of several bacterial species dominant in the infant's gut was analyzed by culturing in media with CP. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii as a sensitive representative was analyzed in detail by scanning transmission electron microscopy, membrane staining, gas chromatography, and microbial fuel cell experiments. Of all bacteria tested, the growth of several bifidobacteria and F. prausnitzii was reduced at 0.01 mg/ml CP, Bifidobacterium infantis stopped growing completely. CP reduced the cell envelope thickness of F. prausnitzii, disturbed the cell membrane fatty acids and function of membrane proteins involved in electron transport. CP inhibited the growth of bifidobacteria and faecalibacteria. This suggests that modification of fat in IF may benefit the development of the gut microbiota in formula‐fed infants by supporting the colonization of important beneficial bacteria in early life. Future clinical studies are needed to confirm this.
Highlights
Breast milk is the recommended nutrition for newborns
We investigated how interactions between bifidobacteria, F. prausnitzii, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron are influenced by calcium palmitate (CP)
It was previously reported that CP is associated with hard stools and decreased absorption of calcium and fatty acids (Litmanovitz et al, 2013)
Summary
Breast milk is the recommended nutrition for newborns. for newborns who cannot receive breast milk, infant formula (IF) is a good alternative. It was proposed that sn-2 esterified palmitic acid in IFs may influence the composition of the infant gut microbiota, especially the levels of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (Yaron et al, 2013). This might influence late-colonizing butyrate-producing bacteria, like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which is regarded as a potential probiotic because of its anti-inflammatory properties (Goffau et al, 2013; Sokol et al, 2008). To measure the effects of CP on bacterial growth, the YCFAG medium was supplemented with different concentrations of CP To this end, 1.0 g CP (Cayman Chemical) was dissolved into 20 ml of propionic acid (Sigma).
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