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Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Evidence-Based Supplement Research

Prebiotic dietary fibre intervention improves fecal markers related to inflammation in obese patients: results from the Food4Gut randomized placebo-controlled trial.

  • 2021-02-05
  • European journal of nutrition 60(6)
    • Audrey M Neyrinck
    • Julie Rodriguez
    • Zhengxiao Zhang
    • Benjamin Seethaler
    • Cándido Robles Sánchez
    • Martin Roumain
    • Sophie Hiel
    • Laure B Bindels
    • Patrice D Cani
    • Nicolas Paquot
    • Miriam Cnop
    • Julie-Anne Nazare
    • Martine Laville
    • Giulio G Muccioli
    • Stephan C Bischoff
    • Jens Walter
    • Jean-Paul Thissen
    • Nathalie M Delzenne

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Sample size
n = 12
Population
obese patients
Methods
randomized, placebo-controlled trial; participants received either 16 g/d native inulin (prebiotic n=12) versus maltodextrin (placebo n=12), coupled to dietary advice to consume inulin-rich versus inulin-poor vegetables for 3 months, in addition to dietary caloric restriction
Blinding
Double-blind
Duration
3 months
Funding
Unclear
  • Rigorous Journal

Purpose

Inulin-type fructans (ITF) are prebiotic dietary fibre (DF) that may confer beneficial health effects, by interacting with the gut microbiota. We have tested the hypothesis that a dietary intervention promoting inulin intake versus placebo influences fecal microbial-derived metabolites and markers related to gut integrity and inflammation in obese patients.

Methods

Microbiota (16S rRNA sequencing), long- and short-chain fatty acids (LCFA, SCFA), bile acids, zonulin, and calprotectin were analyzed in fecal samples obtained from obese patients included in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Participants received either 16 g/d native inulin (prebiotic n = 12) versus maltodextrin (placebo n = 12), coupled to dietary advice to consume inulin-rich versus inulin-poor vegetables for 3 months, in addition to dietary caloric restriction.

Results

Both placebo and prebiotic interventions lowered energy and protein intake. A substantial increase in Bifidobacterium was detected after ITF treatment (q = 0.049) supporting our recent data obtained in a larger cohort. Interestingly, fecal calprotectin, a marker of gut inflammation, was reduced upon ITF treatment. Both prebiotic and placebo interventions increased the ratio of tauro-conjugated/free bile acids in feces. Prebiotic treatment did not significantly modify fecal SCFA content but it increased fecal rumenic acid, a conjugated linoleic acid (cis-9, trans-11 CLA) with immunomodulatory properties, that correlated notably to the expansion of Bifidobacterium (p = 0.031; r = 0.052).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that ITF-prebiotic intake during 3 months decreases a fecal marker of intestinal inflammation in obese patients. Our data point to a potential contribution of microbial lipid-derived metabolites in gastro-intestinal dysfunction related to obesity. CLINICALTRIALS.

Gov identifier

NCT03852069 (February 22, 2019 retrospectively, registered).

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