Evidence suggests that fermented foods and beverages made from fruits and vegetables benefit human health, including in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders. However, there are few studies on the effects of fermented fruits and vegetables on intestinal microbiota. In this study, we investigated the changes in the composition of the intestinal microbial community after short-term treatment with a fermented beverage of Changbai Mountain fruit and vegetables (FB). Forty male ICR mice, weighing 17-19 g, were fed diets with different concentrations of the FB or distilled water for 15 days. 16S rDNA gene sequences were used to analyze the gut microbiota with the Illumina sequencing platform and a paired-end method. FB had no effect on weight gain, the adiposity index, or food intake in the treated mice compared with the control group. The cecal index was significantly higher in the FB-administered groups than in the control group. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in the mice ceca. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was reduced in the FB-administered mice, and proportions of the family Prevotellaceae, Bacteroidales_S24-7_group, family Bacteroidaceae, and genus Bacteroides increased, and these increases were correlated positively with intake of fermented beverage. The FB also altered the diversity of the cecal microbiota in the mice. Graphical Abstract.
Keywords: Cecal fermentation; Fermented beverage; Fermented food; Gut microbiota; Mouse.