Catabolism of structurally diverse fructans by bovine-adapted Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species in pure culture and ex vivo rumen microbial communities

Abstract

Inulin and inulin-derived fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are well-known prebiotics for use in monogastric animals, but their potency in ruminants has not been determined. Additionally, structurally diverse fructans, such as graminan-type fructans purified from immature cereal crops may also possess prebiotic potential. As the composition of the rumen microbiome is closely associated with traits, such as: feed utilization, health, and waste production; prebiotics and probiotics are promising additives that can shift the microbial community towards a more productive state. In this thesis, the ability of bovine-adapted Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species to utilize FOS, inulin, levan, and graminans was assessed. Fluorescently labelled fructans and FISH were performed to directly visualize fructan interactions with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species at the single-cell level. The prebiotic potential of inulin was compared between naïve or inulin-adapted microbial communities. This research provides new methods and benchmarks for evaluating fructans derived from diverse sources as prebiotic candidates in cattle.