Abstract
Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are an indigestible, highly fermentable carbohydrate with a chain length of 3 to 5. They are known bifidogenic factors which may provide physiological benefits when fed. Two studies investigating the effect of FOS on survival in a hamster model of Clostridium difficile-colitis were conducted. Female golden Syrian hamsters were treated with ciprofloxacin prior to C. difficile (strain VPI 10463) challenge. In experiment one, 41 hamsters were randomized among 1 of 6 treatments arranged in a 2×3 factorial (0 or 30 g FOS/L of drinking water; 0, 0.5×109 colony forming units, or 2.0×109 colony forming units C. difficile challenge). In experiment two, 63 hamsters were randomized among 1 of 8 treatments arranged in a 2×2×2 factorial (0 or 30 g FOS/L of drinking water; 0 or 2.0×109 colony forming units C. difficile challenge; 0 or 50 mg/kg body weight/day vancomycin treatment). In the first experiment, FOS increased (p<0.01) median survival time (MST) of hamsters challenged with C. difficile. In the second experiment, the overall effect of FOS was to improve (p<0.05) MST. These data suggest that dietary supplementation with FOS increases median survival time in a hamster model of Clostridium difficile-colitis. Supplementation with fructooligosaccharides may be beneficial for patients at risk of C. difficile infection in long-term care institutions and hospital wards.
