Effects of a novel galactooligosaccharide on the faecal microbiota of healthy and inflammatory bowel disease cats during a randomized, double blind, cross-over feeding study.

摘要

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder in cats, with no known aetiological agent. Previous studies have suggested that the faecal microbiota of IBD cats is significantly different from that of healthy cats, including significantly lower bifidobacteria, bacteroides and total counts in IBD cats and significantly lower levels of sulfate-reducing bacteria in healthy cats. Prebiotics, including galactooligosaccharides (GOS) have been shown to elicit a bifidogenic effect in humans and other animals. This study investigated the impact of a novel GOS on the faecal microbiota of healthy and IBD cats. 8 oligonucleotide probes targeting specific bacterial populations and DAPI stain (total bacteria) were used to monitor the feline faecal microbiota. Overall, inter-animal variation was high. Although a trend towards increased bifidobacterial levels was seen with GOS feeding, it was not statistically significant in either healthy or IBD cats. No significant differences were observed in the faecal microbiota of IBD cats and healthy cats fed the same diet. Members of the family Coriobacteriaceae (Atopobium cluster) were found to be the most abundant bacteria in the feline microbiota.