An in vitro evaluation of the effect of probiotics and prebiotics on the metabolic profile of human microbiota

In the current study, batch culture fermentations on fecal samples of 3 healthy individuals were performed to assess the effect of the addition of prebiotics (FOS), probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum Bar33 and Lactobacillus helveticus Bar13) and synbiotics (B. longum Bar33 + L. helveticus Bar13 + FOS) on the fecal metabolic profiles. A total of 84 different metabolites belonging to the families of sulfur compounds, nitrogen compounds, aldehydes, ketones, esters, alcohols, phenols, organic acids, and hydrocarbons were detected by GC-MS/SPME analysis. The highest number of metabolites varied in concentration in the models with added FOS and synbiotics, where several metabolic signatures were found in common. The increase of butyrate represented the greatest variation registered after the addition of FOS alone. Following the B. longum Bar33 addition, 2-methyl butyrate underwent the most evident variation. In the batch fermentation with added L. helveticus Bar13, the decrease of pyridine and butandiene was observed together with the increase of 2-methyl-5-ethyl-pyrazine, 2-butanone and butyrate. The modification of the fecal metabolic profiles induced by the simultaneous addition of B. longum Bar33 and L. helveticus Bar13 was very similar to that observed after the supplementation with L. helveticus Bar13, regarding mainly the decrease of pyridine and the increase of butyrate.