Prebiotic Fiber Research Articles

P11-007-23 Characterize the Combination Effects of Prebiotic Fiber and Vitamin D on Systemic and Colonic Vitamin D Signaling in Mice

P11-007-23 Characterize the Combination Effects of Prebiotic Fiber and Vitamin D on Systemic and Colonic Vitamin D Signaling in Mice

OR12-01-23 Maternal Supplementation of Prebiotic Fiber Improves Energy Balance and Protects Offspring Against Diet-Induced Obesity

OR12-01-23 Maternal Supplementation of Prebiotic Fiber Improves Energy Balance and Protects Offspring Against Diet-Induced Obesity

P10-009-23 Prebiotic Fiber Improves Gut Microbial Metabolism and Anti-Inflammation in Apolipoprotein E Mice With Sex-Specific Responses

P10-009-23 Prebiotic Fiber Improves Gut Microbial Metabolism and Anti-Inflammation in Apolipoprotein E Mice With Sex-Specific Responses

A Narrative Review of Non-Pharmacological Strategies for Managing Sarcopenia in Older Adults with Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases.

This narrative review examines the mechanisms underlying the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic diseases (MDs), along with their association with sarcopenia. Furthermore, non-pharmacological interventions to address sarcopenia in patients with these conditions are suggested. The significance of combined training in managing metabolic disease and secondary sarcopenia in type II diabetes mellitus is emphasized. Additionally, the potential benefits of resistance and aerobic training are explored. This review emphasises the role of nutrition in addressing sarcopenia in patients with CVD or MDs, focusing on strategies such as optimising protein intake, promoting plant-based protein sources, incorporating antioxidant-rich foods and omega-3 fatty acids and ensuring sufficient vitamin D levels. Moreover, the potential benefits of targeting gut microbiota through probiotics and prebiotic fibres in sarcopenic individuals are considered. Multidisciplinary approaches that integrate behavioural science are explored to enhance the uptake and sustainability of behaviour-based sarcopenia interventions. Future research should prioritise high-quality randomized controlled trials to refine exercise and nutritional interventions and investigate the incorporation of behavioural science into routine practices. Ultimately, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach is essential to improve health outcomes, well-being and quality of life in older adults with sarcopenia and coexisting cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Prebiotic Supplementation during Lactation Affects Microbial Colonization in Postnatal-Growth-Restricted Mice.

An inadequate perinatal nutritional environment can alter the maturation of the intestinal barrier and promote long-term pathologies such as metabolic syndrome or chronic intestinal diseases. The intestinal microbiota seems to play a determining role in the development of the intestinal barrier. In the present study, we investigated the impact of consuming an early postnatal prebiotic fiber (PF) on growth, intestinal morphology and the microbiota at weaning in postnatal-growth-restricted mice (PNGR). Large litters (15 pups/mother) were generated from FVB/NRj mice to induce PNGR at postnatal day 4 (PN4) and compared to control litters (CTRL, 8 pups/mother). PF (a resistant dextrin) or water was orally administered once daily to the pups from PN8 to PN20 (3.5 g/kg/day). Intestinal morphology was evaluated at weaning (PN21) using the ileum and colon. Microbial colonization and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production were investigated using fecal and cecal contents. At weaning, the PNGR mice showed decreased body weight and ileal crypt depth compared to the CTRL. The PNGR microbiota was associated with decreased proportions of the Lachnospiraceae and Oscillospiraceae families and the presence of the Akkermansia family and Enterococcus genus compared to the CTRL pups. The propionate concentrations were also increased with PNGR. While PF supplementation did not impact intestinal morphology in the PNGR pups, the proportions of the Bacteroides and Parabacteroides genera were enriched, but the proportion of the Proteobacteria phylum was reduced. In the CTRL pups, the Akkermansia genus (Verrucomicrobiota phylum) was present in the PF-supplemented CTRL pups compared to the water-supplemented ones. PNGR alters intestinal crypt maturation in the ileum at weaning and gut microbiota colonization. Our data support the notion that PF supplementation might improve gut microbiota establishment during the early postnatal period.

Effect of chitosan on common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fry growth performance, feed utilization and nutriphysiological status

The aim of research was to analyse the impact of chitosan supplementation (1% and 2% doses) on the nutriphysiological status (selected blood biochemical indicators, the microstructure of the intestine and liver and the mineral profile in the meat of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fry (average 63 ± 4.9 g). The experiment was carried out with four replications per treatment, with 48 fish per tank in an open flow system. The average water temperature during the experiment was 20.7 °C, with a range from 18.0° to 22.8°C. The average water dissolved oxygen level was 4.6 mg dm−3 with a range of 4.0–6.2 mg dm−3. Experimental diets contained crude protein (37.5%) and crude fat (8.9%). There were no statistically significant differences between groups within the analysed growth and feed utilization parameters. As the blood analysis showed, chitosan supplementation significantly influenced (P < 0.05) the levels of total cholesterol (TCH), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P). The 2% chitosan led to a reduction in the Fe level in the meat, and dietary supplementation with chitosan at both doses caused a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the concentration of Cu in this tissue. This confirms the properties of chitosan as a dietary fibre that inhibits the absorption of Fe in the intestine by reducing its bioavailability for mucosal cells. A significant increase (P < 0.05) in crypt depth and muscular layer thickness was observed with the increase in dietary chitosan. Histopathological examination of the liver showed significant differences in hepatocyte vacuolization between groups supplemented with 2% chitosan and the control. Only mild to moderate pathological changes and no severe pathological changes were observed between the experimental groups. The obtained results indicate that the chitosan used in the experiment showed both prebiotic and dietary fibre properties.

Improving vitamin D stability and antioxidant activity in imitation mozzarella cheese by conjugated cricket protein with fructooligosaccharide

Conjugated cricket protein with fructooligosaccharide (FOS), called CPF, is a new alternative protein ingredient with great potential for food industry applications. This study aimed to investigate the effect of CPF as a partial substitute for rennet casein on the composition, appearance, color, antioxidant activities, sensory characteristics, and functional characteristics of imitated mozzarella cheese. The effect of CPF on vitamin D retention of cheese after processing and 28 subsequent days of storage was also studied. Incorporation of CPF by 10–40 g/100g resulted in significantly increased FOS as prebiotic fibers by about 0.1–4.2 g/100g in imitation mozzarella cheese, but slightly decreased the protein content and shifted color balance darker, with more yellow and red. The addition of CPF reduced hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and stretchability (25.0–3.6 cm) but increased meltability, adhesiveness, and free oil release (2.0–9.3 cm) of cheeses. In addition, CPF enhanced vitamin D stability in the cheese matrix by about 3 times after heat treatment and 2.8 times after 28 days of storage (4 °C) when compared to the control. It is concluded that adding 10–20 g/100g CPF in imitation cheese improved vitamin D stability and provided acceptable sensory scores for consumers (like moderately, 7.1–7.3).

Screening Microbial Interactions During Inulin Utilization Reveals Strong Competition and Proteomic Changes in Lacticaseibacillus paracasei M38

Competition for resources is a common microbial interaction in the gut microbiome. Inulin is a well-studied prebiotic dietary fiber that profoundly shapes gut microbiome composition. Several community members and some probiotics, such as Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, deploy multiple molecular strategies to access fructans. In this work, we screened bacterial interactions during inulin utilization in representative gut microbes. Unidirectional and bidirectional assays were used to evaluate the effects of microbial interactions and global proteomic changes on inulin utilization. Unidirectional assays showed the total or partial consumption of inulin by many gut microbes. Partial consumption was associated with cross-feeding of fructose or short oligosaccharides. However, bidirectional assays showed strong competition from L. paracasei M38 against other gut microbes, reducing the growth and quantity of proteins found in the latter. L. paracasei dominated and outcompeted other inulin utilizers, such as Ligilactobacillus ruminis PT16, Bifidobacterium longum PT4, and Bacteroides fragilis HM714. The importance of strain-specific characteristics of L. paracasei, such as its high fitness for inulin consumption, allows it to be favored for bacterial competence. Proteomic studies indicated an increase in inulin-degrading enzymes in co-cultures, such as β-fructosidase, 6-phosphofructokinase, the PTS D-fructose system, and ABC transporters. These results reveal that intestinal metabolic interactions are strain-dependent and might result in cross-feeding or competition depending on total or partial consumption of inulin. Partial degradation of inulin by certain bacteria favors coexistence. However, when L. paracasei M38 totally degrades the fiber, this does not happen. The synergy of this prebiotic with L. paracasei M38 could determine the predominance in the host as a potential probiotic.

Bile acids altered by high fat feeding and oligofructose supplementation impact metabolic homeostasis

The gut microbiota is recognized as a contributor to host metabolic homeostasis, as obesity and diabetes are associated with unique gut microbiome signatures. Further, strategies aimed at beneficially shifting the gut microbiome, such as prebiotic treatment, show promise in ameliorating metabolic disease; however, the mechanisms are not yet understood. A potential contribution of the gut microbiota to host metabolism is via modification of host and diet-derived metabolites. For example, bile acids, crucial to lipid digestion and absorption, are modified by gut microbes in the small intestine. Bile acids have also been identified as signaling molecules in the intestine, liver, adipose, and nervous system, playing a role in metabolic homeostasis. Despite their importance, few studies have examined the impact of bile acid signaling on mediating the metabolic benefits of prebiotics. We hypothesized that bile acid homeostasis is altered with dietary factors that shift the gut microbiome, including high fat diet (HFD) feeding and supplementation with the prebiotic fiber oligofructose (OFS), and that taurocholic acid (TCA) and glycodeoxycholic acid (GDCA) that are increased with HFD feeding and OFS supplementation, respectively, would recapitulate the metabolic effects of these diets. Therefore, we conducted an untargeted metabolomics analysis on small intestinal contents of rats fed chow, HFD, or HFD supplemented with OFS, identifying bile acid metabolism as a primary contributor to the observed between-group differences. We then quantified bile acid levels in the small intestine, portal vein, and liver of rats fed chow, HFD, or HFD supplemented with OFS, and identified several bile acids of interest that are altered with HFD or OFS supplementation, including TCA and GDCA. Because these bile acids activate the bile acid receptors, FXR and TGR5, that known to impact metabolic homeostasis, we treated HFD-fed mice with 50 mg/kg GDCA or TCA daily for 12 weeks and measured body weight, adiposity, glucose tolerance, food intake, and indirect calorimetry. We found that GDCA treatment improved glucose tolerance, decreased body weight and adiposity, and increased energy expenditure compared to controls. Further, TCA worsened glucose tolerance independent of body weight. The results of this study implicate GDCA and TCA in the beneficial and detrimental effects of OFS and HFD-feeding, respectively; however, more research is necessary to determine the mechanism underpinning the metabolic effects of GDCA and TCA treatment. This work was supported by the NIH R01DK1804. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Effects of partially hydrolyzed guar gums of different molecular weights on a human intestinal in vitro fermentation model

Partially hydrolyzed guar gums (PHGGs) are prebiotic soluble dietary fibers. High molecular-weight PHGGs have rapid fermentation and high short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) productivity rates, compared to low molecular-weight PHGGs. Therefore, low molecular-weight PHGGs may have less pronounced prebiotic effects than high molecular-weight PHGGs. However, the effects of PHGGs of different molecular weights on the human intestinal microbiota, as well as their fermentation ability and prebiotic effects, have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two PHGGs of different molecular weights, Sunfiber-R (SF-R; 20kDa) and Sunfiber-V (SF-V; 5kDa), on human colonic microbiota and SCFA production. A human intestinal invitro fermentation model was operated by fecal samples with and without the PHGGs. The addition of 0.2% SF-R or SF-V increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides spp., especially that of Bacteroides uniformis. This increase corresponded to a significant (p=0.030) and non-significant (p=0.073) increase in propionate production in response to SF-R and SF-V addition, respectively. Both fibers increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and stimulated an increase in the abundance of unclassified Lachnospiraceae and Bifidobacterium. In conclusion, the low molecular-weight PHGG exerted prebiotic effects on human colonic microbiota to increase SCFA production and bacteria that are beneficial to human health in a manner similar to that of the high molecular-weight forms of PHGG.

Serum short chain fatty acids mediate hippocampal BDNF and correlate with decreasing neuroinflammation following high pectin fiber diet in mice.

Dietary components, such as prebiotic fiber, are known to impact brain chemistry via the gut-brain axis. In particular, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) generated from excessive soluble fiber consumption are thought to impact neuroimmune signaling and brain function through increased production of neurotropic factors. Given reports that high dietary fiber intake is associated with increased mental health and improved quality of life scores, we set out to identify whether changes in SCFA levels as a result of a high soluble fiber diet mediate hippocampal neuroinflammation and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in mice. Adult male and female C57BL/6 mice were fed a 1-month high pectin fiber or cellulose-based control diet. Following 1 month of excessive pectin consumption, serum SCFAs were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and hippocampal cytokines and BDNF were assessed via multiplex magnetic bead immunoassay. Pectin-based fiber diet increased circulating acetic acid in both sexes, with no effect on propionic or butyric acid. In the hippocampus, a high fiber diet decreased TNFa, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IFNγ and increased BDNF levels. Furthermore, increased SCFA levels were inversely correlated with neuroinflammation in the hippocampus, with acetic acid revealed as a strong mediator of increased BDNF production. Collectively, these findings highlight the beneficial effects of fiber-induced molecular changes in a brain region known to influence mood- and cognition-related behaviors. Dietary composition should be considered when developing mental health management plans for men and women with an emphasis on increasing soluble fiber intake.

Evaluation of the survival of homofermentative Lacticaseibacillus casei subsp. casei in fermented milk matrix enriched with non-digestible natural fibers

The physicochemical changes induced by seven different dietary fibers (oat, bamboo, pea, inulin, apple, potato, and wheat) during storage and their effects on the survival of homofermentative Lacticaseibacillus casei subsp. casei (L. casei) in fermented milk matrix were analyzed. For this, an experimental study of the effect of storage time on the microorganisms count and physicochemical properties (pH, titratable acidity, syneresis and viscosity) of milk fermented with L. casei was carried out every two weeks during a storage period of 42 days. Throughout the period studied at 4 °C, no significant differences were found in terms of viscosity values, syneresis rates and L. casei counts, despite the substantial decrease in the pH values. Notably, the substantial increase in the concentration of free hydronium ions (active acidity) in the fiber-enriched matrices during the follow-up period was positively correlated with the L.casei survival. The microbial count determined in all samples was higher than 1 × 107 CFU/g, the minimum value recommended by world organizations for nutraceutical fermented foods. Consequently, the studied prebiotic fibers could be considered in the production of new fermented dairy products with functional properties.Graphical abstract

How Do Diet Patterns, Single Foods, Prebiotics and Probiotics Impact Gut Microbiota?

The human gastrointestinal tract hosts a complex and dynamic population of commensal bacterial species, which have coevolved with the host, generating a symbiotic relationship. Some compounds present in foods, such as polyols, prebiotic fibers, or phenolic compounds, are poorly metabolized and absorbed by the host before the transformation guided by the colonic microbiota. By influencing gut microbiota, diet plays a fundamental role in understanding the beneficial effects of the gut microbiota on the host, including its long-term metabolism. The idea that probiotics can act not only by influencing the colonizing microbiota opens the door to a wider range of probiotic possibilities, encouraging innovation in the field. Furthermore, it has been shown both that some probiotics increase phagocytosis or the activity of natural killer cells. Current prebiotics are mainly based on carbohydrates, but other substances, such as polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids, could exert prebiotic effects. A prebiotic substance has been defined as ‘a substrate that is selectively used by host microorganisms that confer a health benefit’, and so can interact with the gut microbiota through competition for nutrients, antagonism, cross-feeding, and support for microbiota stability. Influencing its composition in terms of richness and diversity, food components have a key impact on the intestinal microbiota. Eating habits can strongly influence the composition of the intestinal microbiota. A healthy intestinal microbiota is essential for maintaining general health, and diet is one of the major modulators of this fascinating world of microorganisms. This must give us one more reason to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Role of prebiotic dietary fiber in periodontal disease: A systematic review of animal studies.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the supporting structures of a tooth in the oral cavity. The relationship between dietary fiber and periodontitis is poorly understood. The objective of this systematic review is to investigate if an intake of dietary fiber modulates periodontal disease in animal models and any concomitant effects on systemic inflammation, microbiota and their metabolites. Animal studies using periodontitis models with any form of fiber intervention were included. Studies with comorbidities that were mutually inclusive with periodontitis and animals with physiological conditions were excluded. Search strategy with MeSH and free-text search terms were finalized and performed on the 22nd of September 2021.CINAHL Complete, EMBASE, MEDLINE, SciVerse Scopus® and Web of Science Core Collection databases were used to identify studies. SYRCLE's risk of bias tool and CAMARADES were used for quality assessment. Results were synthesized utilizing Covidence© web-based platform software to remove duplicates, and the remaining studies were manually filtered. A total of 7,141 articles were retrieved from all databases. Out of 24 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, four studies (n = 4) were included. Four studies involved the use of β-(1,3/1,6)-glucan (n = 3) and mannan oligosaccharide (n = 1) at differing dosages for different study durations. All studies utilized a ligature-induced model of periodontitis in rats, either Wistar (n = 3) or Sprague-Dawley (n = 1). A dose-dependent relationship between the increased fiber intake and decrease in alveolar bone loss and pro-inflammatory markers was observed. The number of included studies is limited and narrow in scope. They highlight the importance of pre-clinical trials in this field with broader dietary fiber intervention groups before proceeding to clinical trials. The use of dietary fiber as an intervention shows promise in the reduction of inflammatory conditions like periodontitis. However, further research is required to delineate the relationship between diet and its effects on microbiota and their metabolites such as short chain fatty acids in animal models of periodontitis.

Delayed Prebiotic Fibre Supplementations Effectively Reduced Fat Infiltration And Knee Joint Degeneration In Male Rats

Delayed Prebiotic Fibre Supplementations Effectively Reduced Fat Infiltration And Knee Joint Degeneration In Male Rats

An open label, non-randomized study assessing a prebiotic fiber intervention in a small cohort of Parkinson’s disease participants

A pro-inflammatory intestinal microbiome is characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Prebiotic fibers change the microbiome and this study sought to understand the utility of prebiotic fibers for use in PD patients. The first experiments demonstrate that fermentation of PD patient stool with prebiotic fibers increased the production of beneficial metabolites (short chain fatty acids, SCFA) and changed the microbiota demonstrating the capacity of PD microbiota to respond favorably to prebiotics. Subsequently, an open-label, non-randomized study was conducted in newly diagnosed, non-medicated (n = 10) and treated PD participants (n = 10) wherein the impact of 10 days of prebiotic intervention was evaluated. Outcomes demonstrate that the prebiotic intervention was well tolerated (primary outcome) and safe (secondary outcome) in PD participants and was associated with beneficial biological changes in the microbiota, SCFA, inflammation, and neurofilament light chain. Exploratory analyses indicate effects on clinically relevant outcomes. This proof-of-concept study offers the scientific rationale for placebo-controlled trials using prebiotic fibers in PD patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04512599.

Bioactive Nutrient Retention during Thermal-Assisted Hydration of Lupins.

Lupin, an arid pulse, is gaining popularity as a super food due to its superior nutritional properties. However, it has not been considered for large scale thermal processing, e.g., canning. The present work evaluated the best time/temperature combination to hydrate lupins for canning with minimum losses of bioactive nutrients, pre-biotic fibre, and total solids during hydration. The two lupin species showed a sigmoidal hydration behaviour, which was adequately modelled by the Weibull distribution. The effective diffusivity, Deff, increased from 7.41 × 10-11 to 2.08 × 10-10 m2/s for L. albus and 1.75 × 10-10 to 1.02 × 10-9 m2/s for L. angustifolius with increasing temperature, namely, from 25 °C to 85 °C. The lag phase decreased from 145 min to 56 min in L. albus and 61 min to 28 min in L. angustifolius. However, based on the effective hydration rate, reaching the equilibrium moisture, minimum loss of the solids, and prebiotic fibre and phytochemicals, 200 min hydration at 65 °C can be regarded as the optimum temperature of hydration. The findings are thus relevant for designing the hydration protocol to achieve the maximum equilibrium moisture content and yield with the minimum loss of solids (phytochemicals and prebiotic fibres) for L. albus and L. angustifolius.

Development of a Novel Low-Calorie Lime Juice-Based Prebiotic Beverage Using a Combined Design Optimization Methodology.

A novel lime-juice based low-calorie functional beverage was developed by using D-optimal combined design optimization. For the preparation of the beverage, the following functional ingredients were used: lime juice, lime peel essential oil (LEO) as a flavoring agent and bioactive component, sucralose as a low-calorie sweetener, an inulin/polydextrose (I/P) mixture as prebiotic fibers, pectin as a thickening agent and soluble dietary fiber, lutein as a carotenoid colorant and antioxidant, and peppermint extract (ME) as a flavoring agent and bioactive component. A combined design consisting of one mixture factor (LEO/ME ratio), one numeric factor (lutein concentration), and one categoric factor (presence or absence of prebiotics) was used for optimizing the functional beverage based on the sensory quality. Regression models were adequately fitted to the data of sensory acceptance with a determination coefficient >90%. The sample containing a mixture of prebiotics, 2:3 (v/v) ratio of LEO: ME, and 3 mg/100 mL lutein was selected as the best formulation among the six optimal beverages which was suggested by Design-Expert software. This final optimum sample showed the highest total phenolic (44.22 mg gallic acid equivalents/L) and flavonoid (25.49 mg quercetin equivalents/L) contents, and its antioxidant activity (as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) scavenging) was 38.30%. The newly designed beverage has the potential to promote health benefits and in therapeutic applications.

Inulin-type dietary fiber stability after combined thermal, mechanical, and chemical stresses related to ultrasound processing of prebiotic apple beverage

Inulin-type fructans are promising prebiotic dietary fibers added to foods and beverages to aggregate functional properties. In this regard, this study examined the chemical and physical stability of inulin after thermal, mechanical, and chemical stress conditions provided by high-intensity ultrasound treatment. The objective was to investigate the behavior of the inulin molecular structure and its technological issues under high-energy processing to understand the feasibility of adding inulin to new products with health benefits. Temperature monitoring during high-intensity ultrasound processing was crucial because high temperatures of up to 82 ± 1 °C were reached using short processing times of up to 5.48 min. Despite the temperature rise, ultrasound specific energies of 30, 120, 210, and 300 J/g did not affect the pH, soluble solid content, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and sugar content of the inulin-enriched apple beverage. In addition, the ultrasound processing stresses promoted by acoustic cavitation did not modify the profile and content of the short chain inulin added to the apple juice. The specific energy of 300 J/g contributed to the physical stability of the prebiotic apple beverage because this high-energy condition inhibited inulin precipitation producing a less cloudy product. Inulin was stable to high-energy ultrasound treatment because its molecular integrity was preserved. Moreover, the nutritional and bioactive compounds of the apple beverage were stable against acoustic cavitation-induced degradation. On the other hand, inulin precipitated in the aqueous solution after cooling of samples treated up to 210 J/g clouding the apple beverage. Indeed, high-intensity ultrasound processing enhanced the technological attributes of the prebiotic beverage, preventing its clouding due to inulin precipitation. Sonication treatment increased the physical stability of the beverage because it increased the magnitude of zeta potential.

Adding a polyphenol-rich fiber bundle to food impacts the gastrointestinal microbiome and metabolome in dogs.

Pet foods fortified with fermentable fibers are often indicated for dogs with gastrointestinal conditions to improve gut health through the production of beneficial post-biotics by the pet's microbiome. To evaluate the therapeutic underpinnings of pre-biotic fiber enrichment, we compared the fecal microbiome, the fecal metabolome, and the serum metabolome of 39 adult dogs with well-managed chronic gastroenteritis/enteritis (CGE) and healthy matched controls. The foods tested included a test food (TF1) containing a novel pre-biotic fiber bundle, a control food (CF) lacking the fiber bundle, and a commercially available therapeutic food (TF2) indicated for managing fiber-responsive conditions. In this crossover study, all dogs consumed CF for a 4-week wash-in period, were randomized to either TF1 or TF2 and fed for 4 weeks, were fed CF for a 4-week washout period, and then received the other test food for 4 weeks. Meaningful differences were not observed between the healthy and CGE dogs in response to the pre-biotic fiber bundle relative to CF. Both TF1 and TF2 improved stool scores compared to CF. TF1-fed dogs showed reduced body weight and fecal ash content compared to either CF or TF2, while stools of TF2-fed dogs showed higher pH and lower moisture content vs. TF1. TF1 consumption also resulted in unique fecal and systemic metabolic signatures compared to CF and TF2. TF1-fed dogs showed suppressed signals of fecal bacterial putrefactive metabolism compared to either CF or TF2 and increased saccharolytic signatures compared to TF2. A functional analysis of fecal tryptophan metabolism indicated reductions in fecal kynurenine and indole pathway metabolites with TF1. Among the three foods, TF1 uniquely increased fecal polyphenols and the resulting post-biotics. Compared to CF, consumption of TF1 largely reduced fecal levels of endocannabinoid-like metabolites and sphingolipids while increasing both fecal and circulating polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles, suggesting that TF1 may have modulated gastrointestinal inflammation and motility. Stools of TF1-fed dogs showed reductions in phospholipid profiles, suggesting fiber-dependent changes to colonic mucosal structure. These findings indicate that the use of a specific pre-biotic fiber bundle may be beneficial in healthy dogs and in dogs with CGE.