Effects of 1, 3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol and its plant-oil formula on the toddler fecal microbiota during in vitro fermentation

Abstract

1,3-Dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol (OPO), an important structured triacylglycerol, is generally supplemented into infant and toddler formulas as a nutrient fortifier. However, its role on fecal microbiota has not received attention in the last decades. In this study, anaerobic fermentation in vitro and high-throughput sequencing were conducted to investigate effects of standard OPO alone (OPO-A) and OPO-enriched plant-oil formula (OPO-P) on toddler fecal microbiota. The results showed OPO could be efficiently utilized by toddler fecal microbiota. OPO supplementation enhanced the production of short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid by microbiota. Furthermore, OPO promoted the growth of Bifidobacterium whereas inhibited the growth of Enterobacter at different fermentation time when compared with the control group. Besides, OPO supplementation enhanced bacterial diversity. Thus, this study indicated that OPO could modulate the fecal microbiota. The results provided useful information for further exploring the physiological role of OPO on colon, and provided new ideas for application of OPO.