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Project

Colon fermentation of arabinoxylans, an in vitro physiological and molecular approach (FWOTM609)

The aim of the present study is to further investigate the relationship between prebiotics, probiotics, and the human colon microbiota, by extending our knowledge on inulin-type fructans toward AXs, and by focusing on selected colon bacterial species, their metabolites (in particular butyrate and propionate), and crossfeeding mechanisms, through kinetic, metabolite target, and transcriptome analyses, not only to understand the degradation mechanism of AXs but also to unravel the sources of butyrate and propionate. The project aims at mapping kinetics of AX degradation by in vitro fermentation analysis of monocultures of selected colon bacteria, mostly belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Further, the project sets out to 2 reveal mechanistic variations in AX degradation among human colon bacteria and the possible impact of such diversity on bacterial interactions (competition as well as cooperation), in particular cross-feeding mechanisms during co-culture fermentations. Further, genome analysis and transcriptomics will provide the possibility to identify biomarkers for and elucidate the mechanisms behind cross-feeding, in particular toward butyrate and propionate production.
Date:1 Oct 2011 →  30 Sep 2015
Keywords:Applied Biology
Disciplines:Biological sciences