EFFECTS OF BIFIDOBACTERIUM BREVE ADMINISTRATION ON THE INTESTINAL
FLORA AND SHORT CHAIN FATTY ACIDS IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS
Li Y-D, Zhang B-D, Wang C-X,
Tadokoro E, Nishizawa K, Satou H, Hosaka A, Shimizu T, Yamashiro Y
Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo,
Japan
Objective: The intestinal of flora of breast-fed infants differs from that of
formula-fed infants. It is thought that this difference in flora is one of
the important reasons why breast-fed infants suffer less from
gastrointestinal diseases. Differences in intestinal flora are reflected in
the profile of faecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). However every little
is know about faecal flora and concentration of SCFAs in neonates fed with
B breve after their birth. The purpose of their study is to characterize
the faecal flora and SCFAs of low birth weight infants received B breve
within 24 hours and more than 72 hours after their birth.
Methods: This study was carried out on ten low birth weight infants
(men gestational age: 31 weeks 3 days, mean birth weight : 1406g ) admitted
to neonatal intensive care unit in Juntendo University Hospital. The
neonates were divided into two groups fed with B breve within 24 hours (A
group, n=5) and in more than 72 hours (B group, n=5) after their birth.
The fresh stool specimens were immediately cultured and analyzed faecal
basically using the method reported by Mitsuoka. The faecal sample for SCFA
a were stored at -80¡î until the analysis. The method of SCFA analysis was
performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Results: There is no significant difference in faecal microflora
between the two groups. However, the anaerobes, Bifidobacterium spp.
colonized more stability in group A than in group B. Lactobacillus spp.
were detected in group A at 3 and 4 weeks after birth but were not detected
in group B. The number of Enterobacteriaceane spp. is higher in group A
than that in group B. There is no difference in SCFAs between the two
groups, however, lactate concentration and composition were higher in group
A than those in group B.
Conclusion: In this study, administration of B breve did not induce
a drastic change in fecal microflora and SCFAs between the two groups and
even the difference in the intestinal flora did not reflected in the
profile of faecal SCFAs. However, our results also showed that the
supplementation of B breve in very early period of life is useful in the
favorable colonization of Bifidabacterium spp. and in the increase of
lactic acid.