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. 2020 Jul 23;12(8):2196.
doi: 10.3390/nu12082196.

Gut Health-Promoting Benefits of a Dietary Supplement of Vitamins with Inulin and Acacia Fibers in Rats

Malén Massot-Cladera  1   2 , Ignasi Azagra-Boronat  1   2 , Àngels Franch  1   2 , Margarida Castell  1   2 , Maria J Rodríguez-Lagunas  1   2 , Francisco J Pérez-Cano  1   2
Affiliations

Gut Health-Promoting Benefits of a Dietary Supplement of Vitamins with Inulin and Acacia Fibers in Rats

Malén Massot-Cladera et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The study's objective was to ascertain whether a nutritional multivitamin and mineral supplement enriched with two different dietary fibers influences microbiota composition, mineral absorption, and some immune and metabolic biomarkers in adult rats. Nine-week-old Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups: the reference group; the group receiving a daily supplement based on a food matrix with proteins, vitamins, and minerals; and two other groups receiving this supplement enriched with inulin (V + I) or acacia (V + A) fiber for four weeks. Microbiota composition was determined in cecal content and mineral content in fecal, blood, and femur samples. Intestinal IgA concentration, hematological, and biochemical variables were evaluated. Both V + I and V + A supplementations increased Firmicutes and Actinobacteria phyla, which were associated with a higher presence of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. V + A supplementation increased calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc concentrations in femur. V + I supplementation increased the fecal IgA content and reduced plasma total cholesterol and uric acid concentration. Both fiber-enriched supplements tested herein seem to be beneficial to gut-health, although differently.

Keywords: IgA; acacia fiber; immune system; inulin fiber; microbiota; mineral absorption.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Total cholesterol; (b) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); (c) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); (d) triglycerides (TG); (e) glucose; and (f) uric acid concentration in blood samples at the end of the study for all experimental groups considering both sexes together. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 10/group). Statistical significance: * p < 0.05 vs. REF group; β p < 0.05 vs. V group; ε p < 0.05 vs. V + I group.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) IgA concentration in gut wash (GW) and (b) fecal samples, (c) proportion of fecal IgA-coating bacteria and (d) plasma IgA concentration quantified at the end of the study for all experimental groups considering both sexes together. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 10/group). Statistical significance: * p < 0.05 vs. REF group; β p < 0.05 vs. V group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main taxonomic ranks showing the proportion of bacterial populations in the cecal content at the end of the study in males and females. The relative proportion of the bacteria was calculated in each taxonomic rank: (a) phylum, (b) family, and (c) genus. Results are expressed as mean (n = 5 female or male/group). Significant differences not shown.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The relative proportion of the (a) Bifidobacterium and (b) Lactobacillus genera in cecal content at the end of the study differentiating between sexes. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 10/group). Statistical significance: * p < 0.05 vs. REF group; β p < 0.05 vs. V group. (c) A representation of Venn diagrams showing the diversity in all genera differentiating between sexes. Results derived from n = 10/group.
Figure 5
Figure 5
(a) Representation of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) for all experimental groups in a score plot and (b) a loading plot. Results derived from n = 10/group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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