Objective: Intestinal microbiota is important in health and disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and fibre-enriched tube feeding on quality of life and intestinal microbiota (faecal Bifidobacteria).
Material and methods: Nineteen out of 59 home-living, tube-feeding-dependent, adult patients and matched healthy controls were included in this randomized, double-blind study. After a washout period, patients received either no residue tube feeding (non-FOS group) or FOS and fibre-enriched tube feeding (FOS group). Quality of life as defined by the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) and quantification of faecal Bifidobacteria were determined.
Results: At baseline, GIQLI scores in controls and patients were 88+/-12 and 67+/-14, respectively (p=0.001). Following 6 weeks' intervention, GIQLI scores remained stable (65+/-14 versus 67+/-17) in the FOS group, whereas the non-FOS group values decreased (68+/-17 versus 64+/-19). Baseline faecal samples contained 2. 1x 10(7)+/-3.5 x 10(7) and 2.1 x 10(6)+/-5.6 x10(6)Bifidobacteria (p=0.002) in controls and patients, respectively, with no differences between patient groups. During the intervention, this number remained stable in the FOS group (0.7 x 10(6)+/-1.3 x 10(6) versus 1.0 x 10(6)+/-1.3 x 10(6) baseline versus end-point), but decreased in the non-FOS group (3.6 x1 0(6)+/-8.0 x 10(6) versus 2.5 x 10(4)+/-4.0 x 10(4)). GIQLI scores were correlated with the number of faecal Bifidobacteria (r=0.41, p=0.007).
Conclusions: The GIQL score for the tube-fed patients increased with the number of faecal Bifidobacteria, although in a non-linear way, and addition of FOS increased the number of Bifidobacteria. This suggests that prebiotic tube feeding may lead to a change in intestinal microbiota that could induce an increased quality of life in these patients.