Fructooligosaccharide intake promotes epigenetic changes in the intestinal mucosa in growing and ageing rats

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fructooligosaccharide (FOS) intake at different life stages of Wistar rats and its stimulatory effects on intestinal parameters. Methods Recently weaned and ageing female rats were divided into growing and ageing treatments, which were fed diets that partially replaced sucrose with FOS for 12 weeks. Results Dietary FOS intake induced a significant increase in the numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in growing rats. FOS intake was associated with increased butyric acid levels and a reduced pH of the caecal contents at both ages. Differential gene expression patterns were observed by microarray analysis of growing and ageing animals fed the FOS diet. A total of 133 genes showed detectable changes in expression in the growing rats, while there were only 19 gene expression changes in ageing rats fed with FOS. Conclusion These results suggest that dietary FOS intake may be beneficial for some parameters of intestinal health in growing rats.