TY - JOUR
T1 - Colonic in vitro fermentation of mycoprotein promotes shifts in gut microbiota, with enrichment of Bacteroides species
AU - Colosimo, Raffaele
AU - Harris, Hannah C.
AU - Ahn-Jarvis, Jennifer
AU - Troncoso-Rey, Perla
AU - Finnigan, Tim J. A.
AU - Wilde, Pete J.
AU - Warren, Frederick J.
N1 - Data availability statement: Raw sequencing data and associated metadata (participant details, substrate and sampling timepoint) can be accessed through NCBI SRA project number PRJNA928249. The source data underlying Figs. 1 and 2 can be found in Supplementary Data 1 and 2, the source data underlying Fig. 3 can be found in Supplementary Data 3 and 4, and the source data underlying Fig. 4 can be found in Supplementary Data 5.
Funding information: The authors gratefully acknowledge Marlow Foods Ltd for funding and supporting this study, and the authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); this research was funded by the BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme Food Microbiome and Health BB/X011054/1 and its constituent projects BBS/E/F/000PR13630 and BBS/E/F/000PR13631.
PY - 2024/3/5
Y1 - 2024/3/5
N2 - Mycoprotein is a fungal-derived ingredient used for meat alternative products whose fungal cell walls are rich in dietary fibre (β-glucans and chitin) and defines its structure. Several health benefits have been reported after mycoprotein consumption, however, little is known about the impact of mycoprotein fermentation on the gut microbiota. This study aims to identify changes in microbiome composition and microbial metabolites during colonic fermentation of mycoprotein following simulated upper gastrointestinal digestion. Changes in microbial populations and metabolites produced by the fermentation of mycoprotein fibre were investigated and compared to a plant (oat bran) and an animal (chicken) comparator. In this model fermentation system, mycoprotein and oat showed different but marked changes in the microbial population compared to chicken, which showed minimal differentiation. In particular, Bacteroides species known for degrading β-glucans were found in abundance following fermentation of mycoprotein fibre. Mycoprotein fermentation resulted in short-chain fatty acid production comparable with oat and chicken at 72 h. Significantly higher branched-chain amino acids were observed following chicken fermentation. This study suggests that the colonic fermentation of mycoprotein can promote changes in the colonic microbial profile. These results highlight the impact that the unique structure of mycoprotein can have on digestive processes and the gut microbiota.
AB - Mycoprotein is a fungal-derived ingredient used for meat alternative products whose fungal cell walls are rich in dietary fibre (β-glucans and chitin) and defines its structure. Several health benefits have been reported after mycoprotein consumption, however, little is known about the impact of mycoprotein fermentation on the gut microbiota. This study aims to identify changes in microbiome composition and microbial metabolites during colonic fermentation of mycoprotein following simulated upper gastrointestinal digestion. Changes in microbial populations and metabolites produced by the fermentation of mycoprotein fibre were investigated and compared to a plant (oat bran) and an animal (chicken) comparator. In this model fermentation system, mycoprotein and oat showed different but marked changes in the microbial population compared to chicken, which showed minimal differentiation. In particular, Bacteroides species known for degrading β-glucans were found in abundance following fermentation of mycoprotein fibre. Mycoprotein fermentation resulted in short-chain fatty acid production comparable with oat and chicken at 72 h. Significantly higher branched-chain amino acids were observed following chicken fermentation. This study suggests that the colonic fermentation of mycoprotein can promote changes in the colonic microbial profile. These results highlight the impact that the unique structure of mycoprotein can have on digestive processes and the gut microbiota.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85186851305&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s42003-024-05893-4
DO - 10.1038/s42003-024-05893-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 38443511
AN - SCOPUS:85186851305
SN - 2399-3642
VL - 7
JO - Communications Biology
JF - Communications Biology
M1 - 272
ER -