Prebiotic Wheat Bran Fractions Induce Specific Microbiota Changes

Abstract

Wheat bran fibers are considered beneficial to human health through their impact on gut microbiota composition and activity. Here, we assessed the prebiotic potential of selected bran fractions by performing a series of fecal slurry anaerobic fermentation experiments using aleurone as well as total, ultrafine, and soluble wheat bran (swb) as carbon sources. By combining amplicon-based community profiling with a fluorescent <i>in situ</i> hybridization (FISH) approach, we found that incubation conditions favor the growth of Proteobacteria such as <i>Escherichia</i> and <i>Bilophila</i>. These effects were countered in all but one [total wheat bran (twb)] fermentation experiments. Growth of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> species was stimulated after fermentation using ultrafine, soluble, and twb, in the latter two as part of a general increase in bacterial load. Both ultrafine and swb fermentation resulted in a trade-off between <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and <i>Bilophila</i>, as previously observed in human dietary supplementation studies looking at the effect of inulin-type fructans on the human gut microbiota. Aleurone selectively stimulated growth of <i>Dorea</i> and butyrate-producing <i>Roseburia</i>. All fermentation experiments induced enhanced gas production; increased butyrate concentrations were only observed following soluble bran incubation. Our results open perspectives for the development of aleurone as a complementary prebiotic selectively targeting colon butyrate producers.