P179 EFFECT OF INCREASING NUMBER OF INTESTINAL BIFIDOBACTERIA ON THE PRESENCE OF CLINICALLY RELEVANT PATHOGENS

Boehm G¹,Lidestri M², Casetta P³, Jelinek I¹ ,Knol J¹ ,Negretti F³,Stahl B¹,Marini A², Unicom Research,F riedrichsdorf and Wageningen, Germany and the Netherlands ,Div, of Neonatology and ,Institute of pharmacology , University Milan, Italy

Aim :In a previous study in formula fed preterm infants we demonstrated that dietary oligosaccharides (mixture of 90% galacto oligosaccharides(GOS)and 10%fructo –oligosaccharides (FOS) at a concentration of 1 g/dl)stimulated the growth of intestinal Bifidobacteria Do bacteria .In the present explorative analysis we focus on the effect of the dominance of Bifidobacteria on the presence of clinically relevant pathogens.

Methods : The faecal flora of 12 preterm infants fed with a formula supplemented with the GOS/FOS mixture was compared with that from 11preterm infants fed the same formula but supplemented with malt dextrin as placebo .The microbiological analysis was performed on fresh stool samples using classical plating techniques .The total number of faecal bacteria was measured using the DAPI method . Apart from Bifidus , Klebsiella, B.subtilis ,Streptococcus group B,Enterobacter,Acinetobacter,Cl.difficile ,proteus ,Ps. Aeruginosa,Staph.aureus ,Staph.haemolyticus ,and Staph .spider midis were selected for analysis according to the nosocomial situation of the hospital ,To account for data not normally distributed group comparisons were performed non-parametrically by Mann Whitney U-test

Result: At the end of a 28 day feeding period ,the sum of the selected pathogens was lower in the group fed the supplemented formula compared to the group fed the placebo (7.25 ± 0.66 vs. .7.68±0.58 log CFU/g stool: p= 0.039 .Expressed as percentage of total bacteria ,the sum of the selected pathogens was significantly lower in the GOS/FOS group than in the placebo group (0.52 ± 0.66 vs .2.58±3.07%;p=0.011).

Conclusion :The data indicate that feeding a formula supplemented with a GOS/FOS mixture not only stimulates the growth of Bifidobacteria but also reduces the absolute number as well as the proportion of clinically relevant pathogens in the faecal flora.

J pediatric Gastroenterol Nutr 2003/4;36:578