Abstract
The effects of fructooligosaccharide supplementation to an elemental diet on the intestinal microflora were investigated in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent placement of a feeding gastrostomy and received an elemental diet (ED) with or without fructooligosaccharides (FOS) for 3, 5 or 7 days. The weights of the cecal contents and cecal tissue increased significantly and the pH of the cecal contents decreased significantly in rats given the ED with FOS. There was also a significant increase in the cecal counts of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. However, on days 5 and 7, the counts of Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus in the rats given ED with FOS increased to the same level as those in rats given ED without FOS. These data suggest that supplementation of an elemental diet with FOS is effective for improving intestinal conditions by increasing the cecal contents and anaerobes such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and decreasing the pH of the cecal contents.
