Comparison of the in-vitro effect of five prebiotics with different structure on gut microbiome and metabolome

This study aimed to compare the effects of sodium alginate (SA), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), lactulose (LC), polydextrose (PDX), and inulin (IN) on gut microbiome and metabolome using stable in vitro human gut fermentation model. The five prebiotics with different structure were effective in promoting beneficial bacteria, such as increased Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014 in the GOS group, and Parabacteroides and Phascolarctobacterium in the PDX group. Also, prebiotics promoted total short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production, especially the butyric acid increased by SA with the largest molecular weight and high content of ManA. Most prebiotics affected carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism pathways. The changed metabolic pathways were similar between the LC and GOS with the smallest molecular weight, and IN and PDX with analogous molecular weight and monosaccharide composition were strongly associated with energy metabolism pathways. This paper could promote the application and development of prebiotics in food industry.