Age-related changes of microbiota in midlife associated with reduced saccharolytic potential: an in vitro study.
BACKGROUND
Gut microbiota is critical in maintaining human health, of which diversity and abundance are subject to significantly reduce in seniors. Gut microbiota is reported to be stable across the long adulthood in general, but lack of careful examination, especially for the midlife people.


RESULTS
To characterize the gut microbiota in midlife, we investigated the faecal microbiota between two groups of healthy people, young, 20-39 years old, n = 15; and midlife, 40-60 years old, n = 15. Metabolic responses of the microbiota were studied through in vitro batch fermentation model. Although no difference was observed in the diversity indices between the two age groups, a wide range taxonomic changes were found in the faecal microbiota. Furthermore, substantial Bifidobacterium reduction was also found in both faecal and fermented samples. The faecal SCFAs are similar in both groups, as well as starch fermentation broth. However, after inulin fermentation, the acetate concentration and inulin degradation rate decreased while the gas production increased in midlife group, suggesting a deficiency of saccharolytic potential in midlife, especially for non-digestible carbohydrate.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data demonstrate that gut microbiota begins to change as early as in midlife. The reduction in Bifidobacterium dominates the change of the microbiota composition in midlife resulting in attenuated saccharolytic capacity of inulin, possibly leading to insufficient acetate production which might be associated with healthy problems in this transition period from young to elderly.
['Chen|Junkui|J|', 'Pi|Xionge|X|', 'Liu|Wei|W|', 'Ding|Qunfang|Q|', 'Wang|Xin|X|', 'Jia|Weiguo|W|', 'Zhu|Liying|L|0000-0003-2337-2950']
D000328:Adult D000367:Age Factors D001419:Bacteria D004043:Dietary Fiber D005243:Feces D005285:Fermentation D006801:Humans D066298:In Vitro Techniques D007444:Inulin D064307:Microbiota D008875:Middle Aged D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Microbiota Midlife SCFAs Acetate Gas production In vitro fermentation