Feeding Fiber-Bound Polyphenol Ingredients at Different Levels Modulates Colonic Postbiotics to Improve Gut Health in Cats

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Food eaten by humans or companion animals is broken down by enzymes produced by the host and also by bacteria present in the large intestine of the host. Many of the compounds produced can have beneficial effects on the host’s health. Previous studies in dogs evaluated changes after they ate food containing a fiber bundle made of pecan shells, flax seed, and powders from cranberry, citrus, and beet. These studies showed that bacteria in the large intestine switched from digesting mainly protein to digesting mainly carbohydrates resulting in production of compounds with beneficial properties. The study presented here tested this fiber bundle in cats to see which compounds and/or bacteria in the feces changed. After cats consumed food containing the fiber bundle, several compounds associated with beneficial health effects increased, and some compounds that indicate the breakdown of protein decreased. In contrast, little change in fecal bacteria was observed following consumption of food with the fiber bundle. Overall, these findings indicate that, similar to the dog studies, bacteria in the large intestine of cats were able to digest the fiber bundle to make compounds that may contribute to host health and also shifted to digestion of carbohydrates instead of protein. ABSTRACT: Consumption of fiber in its different forms can result in positive health effects. Prior studies in dogs found that addition of a fiber bundle (composed of pecan shells, flax seed, and powders of cranberry, citrus, and beet) to food resulted in a shift in fecal bacterial metabolism from proteolysis to saccharolysis. The present study evaluated the changes in fecal metabolites and microbiota in healthy cats following the consumption of this fiber bundle. Following a 28-day pre-feed period, 56 healthy adult cats received food with none or one of three concentrations (0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%) of the fiber bundle for a 31-day period. In cats that consumed the 4% fiber bundle, levels of ammonium and fecal branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) decreased from baseline and compared with the other groups. Addition of any level of the fiber bundle resulted in increases in beneficial metabolites: polyphenols hesperidin, hesperetin, ponciretin, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, secoisolariciresinol, and enterodiol. Little change in fecal microbiota was observed. Since higher levels of ammonia and BCFAs indicate putrefactive metabolism, the decreases in these with the 4% fiber bundle indicate a shift toward saccharolytic metabolism despite little change in the microbiota composition.