In vitro effect of dietary protein level and nondigestible oligosaccharides on feline fecal microbiota

The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vitro the effect of some prebiotic substances and 2 dietary protein levels on the composition and activity of feline fecal microbiota. Two in vitro studies were conducted. First, 6 nondigestible oligosaccharides were studied; treatments were control diet (CTRL), gluconic acid (GA), carrot fiber (CF), fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), lactitol (LAC), and pectins from citrus fruit (PEC). Substrates were added to feline fecal cultures at 2 g/L for 24 h incubation. Compared with the CTRL, ammonia had been reduced (P < 0.05) by GOS (–9%) after 6 h and by GA (–14%), LAC (–12%), and PEC (–10%) after 24 h. After 24 h, all treatments had resulted in a lower pH versus the CTRL. Putrescine concentrations at 24 h were greater (P < 0.05) in cultures treated with FOS (+90%), GOS (+96%), and LAC (+87%). Compared with the CTRL, total VFA were higher (P < 0.05) in bottles containing CF (+41%), whereas the acetic to propionic acid ratio was reduced by LAC (–51%; P < 0.05). After 24 h, Enterobacteriaceae had been reduced (P < 0.05) by LAC and PEC. In a second study, LAC and FOS were selected to be tested in the presence of 2 diets differing in their protein content. There were 6 treatments: low-protein (LP) CTRL with no addition of prebiotics (CTRL-LP), high-protein (HP) CTRL with no addition of prebiotics (CTRL-HP), LP diet plus FOS, CTRL-HP plus FOS, LP diet plus LAC, and CTRL-HP plus LAC. Both FOS and LAC were added to feline fecal cultures at 2 g/L for 24 h incubation. Ammonia at 24 h was affected (P < 0.05) by the protein level (36.2 vs. 50.2 mmol/L for LP and HP, respectively). The CTRL-HPs resulted in a higher pH and increased concentrations of biogenic amines were found after 6 and 24 h of incubation (P < 0.05); putrescine at 24 h showed an increase (P < 0.05) in cultures treated with FOS. Total VFA were influenced (P < 0.05) by the protein level (40.9 vs. 32.6 mmol/L for LP and HP, respectively). At 24 h, the CTRL-HPs were associated with increased Clostridium perfringens and reduced Lactobacillus spp. and enterococci counts (P < 0.05). The results from the present study show that different prebiotics exert different effects on the composition and activity of feline intestinal microbiota and that high dietary protein levels in a cat’s diet can have negative effects on the animal intestinal environment.