Effects of the Fructooligosaccharide Intake on Human Fecal Microflora and Fecal Properties

To study the effects of the fructooligosaccharide (FOS) intake on the intestinal microflora, the FOS (8g) was served to each of 5 volunteers (adult men years old) after every lunch for 4 weeks. Changes in fecal microflora, fecal moisture, and fecal pH were observed during the FOS intake and after the FOS intake, respectively. The fecal moisture content of the control period (4 weeks before the intake of FOS) was . The moisture content of the feces increased significantly at the end of the 4th week of FOS intake, and these effects lasted for 3 weeks after stopping FOS intake. The fecal pH before FOS intake was , while it decreased significantly (p (CFU/g of wet feces) and it increased significantly during the FOS intake. After stopping the intake of FOS, the number of Bifidobacteria returned to those of control period. The log fecal number of Lactobacilli before the intake was and significantly increased in 3 weeks due to the FOS intake. After stopping the intake of FOS, however, the number of Lactobacilli returned to those of control period. No remarkable changes were observed in the number of coliforms throughout all durations.