Alessandri G, Milani C, Duranti S, Mancabelli L, Lugli GA, Turroni F, Ossiprandi MC, van Sinderen D, Ventura M. Ability of bifidobacteria to metabolize chitin-glucan and its impact on the gut microbiota. Sci Rep. 2019;9:5755. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42257-z.
This study evaluated the ability of 100 bifidobacterial strains to utilize chitin-glucan, a natural polysaccharide, as a growth substrate. Findings revealed that certain strains, particularly Bifidobacterium breve 2L, exhibited enhanced growth when cultured with chitin-glucan. Transcriptomic analyses indicated upregulation of genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism in response to chitin-glucan exposure. Additionally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that chitin-glucan supplementation improved colonization efficiency of B. breve 2L in the gut. These results suggest that chitin-glucan may serve as a prebiotic, promoting the proliferation of beneficial bifidobacteria and positively influencing gut microbiota composition.
Keywords: Chitin-glucan, bifidobacteria, Bifidobacterium breve, gut microbiota, prebiotic, carbohydrate metabolism