Impact of a Plant Sterol- and Galactooligosaccharide-Enriched Beverage on Colonic Metabolism and Gut Microbiota Composition Using an In Vitro Dynamic Model

This document is he Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b04796A beverage enriched with plant sterols (1 g/100 mL) and galactooligosaccharides (1.8 g/100 mL) was subjected to a dynamic gastrointestinal and colonic fermentation process to evaluate the effect on sterol metabolism, organic acid production, and microbiota composition. Production of sterol metabolites (coprostanol, methylcoprostanol, ethylcoprostenol, ethylcoprostanol, and sitostenone) was observed in the transverse colon (TC) and descending colon (DC) vessels in general, from 24 and 48 h, respectively. Microbial activity was assessed through the production of organic acids, mainly acetate in all colon vessels, lactate in the AC, and butyrate and propionate in the TC and DC. A higher diversity in the microbial community was found in the TC and DC, in accordance with a higher sterol metabolism and organic acid production. Although the prebiotic effect of galactooligosaccharides was not detected, changes in microbiota composition (an increase in the Parabacteroides genus and the Synergistaceae and Lachnospiraceae families) indicated an enhancement of sterol metabolism.Peer reviewe