Bifidobacterial specils that are present in breast-fed infants are stimulated informula fed infants by changing to a formula containing prebiotics

J.Knol ,G.M.A. steenbakkers, E.G.M. van der J.inde, S.Groβ,K.Helm, M.Klaroryk,H.Schopfer,C.Kafka;Nutrico Research ,Wageningen the Netherlands ,lubbecke ,Itetmold ,Harnburg ,Espelkamp,Germany

Aim:The intestinal flora of breast-fed infants is generally dominated by Bifidobacteria which is suggested to be beneficial for the infant. In this study ,a prebiotic approach was taken to emulate the bifidigenic properties of human milk in infants that were formula fed for at least four weeks and thus have developed a typical mixed-type intestinal flora .We aimed to investigate to what extend the prebiotic formula is able to establish a bifido-dominant flora , not only in number but also with respect to the occurrence of the different species of Bifidobacteria.

Methods: Term infants aged 4 to 12 weeks who were fully formula fed for at least fourweeks were randomized to blindly receive ,during 6 weeks,either a starting formula supplemented with 0.8 g/100 ml prebiotic fructo – and galacto-oligosacchrides (OSF),or the same standard formula without prebiotics(SF).A breast-fed group receiving no infant formula was studied in parallel to both groups as a reference (BF).Faecal samples were taken at the start of the ?tudy,and after 4 and 6 weeks. The number of Bifidobacteria was determined by flurescence in situ hybridization (FISH)usingprobe bif164,and the total bacterial count by staining the bacterial cells with DAPI subgroups of Bifidobacteria were determined qualitatively by species specific PCR.

Results: Enumeration of the faecal microflora using FISH shows that an already developed flora in infants can be modulated by a prebiotics contaning formula. In the OSF group we found a significant increase in the percentage we found a significant incresase in the percentage of Bifidobacteria compared to the control group,reaching levels typical for breast fed infants . The intestinal flora of the SE group and the breast feeding group remained stable during the study period .

6	4After	After weeks	% bifidobacteria (SE) Study start	Infant formula
	40(6.6)	49(5.2)	48(4.6)	SF(n=18)
	65(4.5)**	62(4.5)	49(7.6)	OSF (n=16)
	72(4.3)	61(6.3)	60(6.4)	BF(n=16)
*p<0.05 6Wk vs. study start # p<0.05 OSF vs.SF

Furthermore the patterns of Bifidobacteria present in the prebiotic group were highly comparable to the species found in breast fed infants . The PCR assay gave similar results for B.breve,infantis, longum, gallicum, bifidum, adolescentis, and catennulatum. The strains Bifidobacterium lactislanimalis and Bifidobacterium dentium that are normally not found in infants were absent in all groups.

Conclusion: An infant formula containing fructo-and galacto- oligosaccharides promotes. The growth of different bifidobacterial species to dominate the faecal flora of bottle- fed infants, with a distribution that is comparable to the one in breast fed infants.

J pediatric Gastroentrol Nutr 2002 , 34;4;477