Synergistic effect of lotus seed resistant starch and short-chain fatty acids on mice fecal microbiota in vitro.

This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of lotus seed resistant starch (LRS) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on mice fecal bacterial flora and the contents of SCFAs in vitro. Following 24 h of fermentation, 16S rRNA analysis revealed several differences in the fecal microbiota community structure among primal bacteria (PB), LRS and different SCFAs combined with LRS groups (SCFAs-LRS). The LRS group increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, Clostridium, Bacteroides and Prevotella. Among the SCFAs-LRS group, AA-LRS increased the relative abundance of Prevotella, and Bacillus. PA-LRS increased abundance of Sphingomonas and the BA-LRS group significantly increased the relative abundance of Rhizobiales, Brucellaceae and Ochrobactrum. Meanwhile, propionic acid and BA productions significantly increased in the BA-LRS group. The SCFAs-LRS group elicited a beneficial effect on the fecal microbiota by increasing production of SCFAs. We highlight the fact that the combination of LRS and SCFA can increase the contents of SCFAs produced by mice fecal microbiota. In short, the combination of LRS and SCFA can influence intestinal flora by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and can serve as new prebiotics for promoting health and disease management.