Effect of prebiotics on the human gut microbiota of elderly persons

Figures & data

Table 1. Effect of probiotics on gut microbiota composition of elderly humans

Study design	Subjects	Age	Probiotic	Result	Reference
Randomized, placebo-controlled	n = 33 (placebo) n = 33 (probiotic)	83 ± 7 y 84 ± 8 y	Fermented oat drink containing Bifidobacterium longum and B. longum	⇑B.catenulatum ⇑ B. bifidum ⇑ B. breve	(Lahtinen et al.^13)
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled	n = 20 (placebo) n = 20 (low dose probiotic) n = 20 (medium dose) n = 20 (high dose)	> 60 y	Reconstituted skimmed milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis	⇑ bifidobacteria ⇑ lactobacilli ⇑ enterococci ⇓ enterobacteria	(Ahmed et al.^14)
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled	n = 9 (placebo) n = 9 (synbiotic)*	71 y (mean) 73 y (mean)	Bifidobacterium bifidum and B. lactis (probiotics) together with an inulin-based prebiotic	⇑ bifidobacteria ⇑ lactobacilli ⇓ B. bifidum	(Bartosch et al.^15)

* a synbiotic is a probiotic and prebiotic mixture

Table 2. Effect of prebiotics on gut microbiota composition of elderly humans

Study design	Subjects	Age	Prebiotic	Dose	Result	Reference
Randomized double-blind, parallel study	n = 10 (prebiotic inulin) n = 15 (lactose)	76.4 y (mean)	Chicory inulin (prebiotic)	20 g/day (Days 1–8) 40 g/day (Days 12–19)	⇑ bifidobacteria, ⇓ enterobacteria ⇓ enterococci	(Kleessen et al.^10)
Randomized double- blind, placebo controlled, crossover study	n = 37	> 50	GOS in juice	4g/day	⇑ bifidobacteria ⇑butyrate no change in fecal water genotoxicity	(Walton et al.^18)
Single treatment study	n = 19	85 ± 6 y	FOS powder	8g/day	⇑ bifidobacteria	(Guigoz et al.^19)
Randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study	n = 44	69.3 ± 4.0 y	GOS mixture	5.5g/day	⇑ bifidobacteria ⇑ Lactobacillus-Enterococcus spp ⇑ C. coccoides-E. rectale group ⇓ C. histolyticum group ⇓ E. coli ⇓ Desulfovibrio spp	(Vulevic et al.^20)
Single treatment study	n = 12	69 ± 2 y	FOS powder	8g/day	⇑ bifidobacteria	(Bouhnik et al.^21)

(FOS, fructooligosaccharides; GOS, galactooligosaccharides)

Lahtinen SJ, Tammela L, Korpela J, Parhiala R, Ahokoski H, Mykkänen H, et al. Probiotics modulate the Bifidobacterium microbiota of elderly nursing home residents. Age (Dordr) 2009; 31:59 - 66; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11357-008-9081-0; PMID: 19234769

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Ahmed M, Prasad J, Gill H, Stevenson L, Gopal P. Impact of consumption of different levels of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on the intestinal microflora of elderly human subjects. J Nutr Health Aging 2007; 11:26 - 31; PMID: 17315077

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Bartosch S, Fite A, Macfarlane GT, McMurdo MET. Characterization of bacterial communities in feces from healthy elderly volunteers and hospitalized elderly patients by using real-time PCR and effects of antibiotic treatment on the fecal microbiota. Appl Environ Microbiol 2004; 70:3575 - 81; http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AEM.70.6.3575-3581.2004; PMID: 15184159

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Kleessen B, Sykura B, Zunft HJ, Blaut M. Effects of inulin and lactose on fecal microflora, microbial activity, and bowel habit in elderly constipated persons. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65:1397 - 402; PMID: 9129468

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Walton GE, van den Heuvel EG, Kosters MH, Rastall RA, Tuohy KM, Gibson GR. A randomised crossover study investigating the effects of galacto-oligosaccharides on the faecal microbiota in men and women over 50 years of age. Br J Nutr 2011; 1 - 10; http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007114511004697; PMID: 21910949

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Guigoz Y, Rochat F, Perruisseau-Carrier G, Rochat I, Schiffrin E. Effects of oligosaccharide on the faecal flora and non-specific immune system in elderly people. Nutr Res 2002; 22:13 - 25; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0271-5317(01)00354-2

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Vulevic J, Drakoularakou A, Yaqoob P, Tzortzis G, Gibson GR. Modulation of the fecal microflora profile and immune function by a novel trans-galactooligosaccharide mixture (B-GOS) in healthy elderly volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr 2008; 88:1438 - 46; PMID: 18996881

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Bouhnik Y, Achour L, Paineau D, Riottot M, Attar A, Bornet F. Four-week short chain fructo-oligosaccharides ingestion leads to increasing fecal bifidobacteria and cholesterol excretion in healthy elderly volunteers. Nutr J 2007; 6:42 - 7; http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-6-42; PMID: 18053236

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar