Effects of potato dextrin on the composition and metabolism of the gut microbiota in rats fed standard and high-fat diets

•Dextrin stimulates the growth of strains Bacteroidetes and limited increase in Firmicutes.•The low-fat diet supplemented with dextrin increased total SCFAs.•The high-fat diet supplemented with dextrin reduced putrefactive processes.•Potato dextrin may prevent overweight and obesity. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of dextrin obtained from potato starch on the numbers and relative proportions of enteric bacteria belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Moreover, basic indicators of gastrointestinal function and short-chain fatty acids were analyzed. Dextrin decreases feed consumption of rats and is intensively metabolized by bacteria in their distal intestine. Dextrin also reduces the level of putrefaction-related SCFAs in the distal intestine provided that it is consumed together with a high-fat diet; it also stimulates the growth of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria strains, while reducing the number of Firmicutes strains regardless of the dietary regimen. These results show that potato dextrin lowers feed intake and leads to modifications in the distal intestine which may help support intestinal health and prevent overweight and obesity.