Comparative analysis of prebiotic effects of four oligosaccharides using in vitro gut model: digestibility, microbiome, and metabolome changes.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Ad-fructooligosaccharides (Ad-FOS), resistant maltodextrin (RMD), and maltooligosaccharides (MOS) are commercially available prebiotic oligosaccharides. In this study, the effects of prebiotics on the human gut microbial ecosystem were evaluated using an in vitro gut model. FOS and Ad-FOS showed tolerance to digestion, whereas RMD and MOS showed moderate digestion by digestive enzymes. In in vitro fecal fermentation, Bifidobacterium spp. increased in the following order: FOS, Ad-FOS, MOS, and RMD, whereas Bacteroides spp. increased in RMD medium. Bacteroides xylanisolvens exhibited cross-feeding by enabling the growth of other beneficial bacteria during co-culture in RMD medium. In metabolome analysis, total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were highly produced in the following order: RMD, FOS, MOS, and Ad-FOS; acetate in the order of FOS, MOS/RMD, and Ad-FOS; butyrate in the order of RMD, MOS, FOS, and Ad-FOS; and propionate only in RMD. In addition, the conversion of betaine to trimethylamine was rarely affected in the following order: MOS, RMD, FOS, and Ad-FOS. Lastly, the four oligosaccharides inhibited the adhesion of pathogenic Escherichia coli to human epithelial cells to a similar extent. The comparative analysis results obtained in this study will provide comprehensive information of these substances to manufacturers and customers.

Lipid Production by Arctic Microalga Chlamydomonas sp. KNF0008 at Low Temperatures.

A lipid-producing microalga, Chlamydomonas sp. KNF0008, collected from the Arctic was capable of growing at temperatures ranging from 4 to 20 °C, and the highest cell density was measured at 15 °C and 100 µmol photons m-2 s-1 light intensity under continuous shaking and external aeration. KNF0008 showed the elevated accumulation of lipid bodies under nitrogen-deficient conditions, rather than under nitrogen-sufficient conditions. Fatty acid production of KNF0008 was 4.2-fold (104 mg L-1) higher than that of C. reinhardtii CC-125 at 15 °C in Bold's Basal Medium. The dominant fatty acids were C16:0, C16:4, C18:1, and C18:3, and unsaturated fatty acids (65.69%) were higher than saturated fatty acids (13.65%) at 15 °C. These results suggested that Arctic Chlamydomonas sp. KNF0008 could possibly be utilized for production of biodiesel during periods of cold weather because of its psychrophilic characteristics.

Growth and lipid content at low temperature of Arctic alga Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C.

Biodiesel produced from microalgae is a promising source of alternative energy. In winter, however, outdoor mass cultivation for biodiesel production is hampered by poor growth. Here, we report that Arctic Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C exhibits optimal growth at 4 °C and reaches densities up to 1.4 × 10(7) cells mL(-1). Lipid body formation in the alga was visualized through BODIPY 505/515 staining and fluorescence microscopy. The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) production level of KNM0029C was 178.6 mg L(-1) culture and 2.3-fold higher than that of C. reinhardtii CC-125 at 4 °C. Analysis of the FAME content showed a predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as C16:3, C18:2, C18:3, and C20:2. C18:3 fatty acids comprised the largest fraction (20.7%), and the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (39.6%) was higher than that of saturated fatty acids (6.8%) at 4 °C. These results indicate that Chlamydomonas sp. KNM0029C, as a psychrophilic microalga, might represent a favorable source for biodiesel production in cold environments.