The ability of typical strains of
Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, a butyrate-producing bacterium, to utilize representative polysaccharides was investigated in vitro. Ultimately, these findings will contribute to the optimization of B. fibrisolvens growth in the intestine, where it has been used successfully as a probiotic. Among the strains examined, we measured significant variation in the fermentation of different polysaccharides: Resistant starch was fermented by strains A38,19171, OB156, and 51255, but not by MDT-1. Pectin was fermented by all the strains tested, and hemicelluloses inulin and xylan were fermented by all strains except OB156. Relative to cultures containing only endogenous dog fecal bacteria, those supplemented with B. fibrisolvens strain MDT-1showed significantly higher levels of hemicellulose (particularly xylan) fermentation. The increase in xylan fermentation seen with addition of
B.fibrisolvens MDT-1 resulted in an increase in butyrate production. Thus, when MDT-1 is used as a probiotic, dietary supplementation with xylan may promote the preferential growth of MDT-1 in the intestine, thereby enhancing butyrate production.
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