Expanding evidence for targeted prebiotic approaches and uncovering a cross-feeding mechanism, a recent study published in The ISME journal highlighted that the importance of the selective stimulation of Faecalibacterium due to its potential role in gut homeostasis.
“By providing an approach for modulating Faecalibacterium levels, our research opens new avenues for the prevention and management of various diseases associated with this beneficial bacterium,” wrote scientists from Wellness Science Labs, Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, which funded the research.
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii has been associated with positive effects on gut health. The species produces the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is beneficial for colon health. Previous research suggests that F. prausnitzii may help prevent inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer and diabetes.
However, the current researchers noted that “the extreme oxygen sensitivity of F. prausnitzii limits its direct use as a probiotic,” prompting them to explore prebiotic potential of bionic acids to increase Faecalibacterium abundance instead.
Existing evidence for the prebiotic effects is inconsistent, highlighting a need for detailed mechanistic analyses to develop its therapeutic potential, they added.
Benefits of bionic acids
Maltobionic acid is a disaccharide derived from natural sugars. Along with the bionic acid lactobionic acid, evidence suggests it may reduce advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and benefit the skin. Therefore, these acids are marketed in skincare products.
Reportedly, maltobionic acid may also slow facial bone density decline, and previous research has suggested it may improve stool frequency.
Some studies have suggested that maltobionic acid supports bifidobacterium growth through a prebiotic-like relationship, while other research suggests the effect depends on factors like strain specificity, gut microbiota composition and host physiology.
Study details
The researchers first collected human fecal samples and identified maltobionic acid’s ability to promote Faecalibacterium growth in vitro.
They then conducted a human intervention study with 27 participants who consumed 5 g of maltobionic acid calcium salt daily, equivalent to 3 g of maltobionic acid, for two weeks. The scientists analyzed the participants’ fecal samples before and after the intervention.
“We identified maltobionic acid and lactobionic acid as compounds that specifically promoted Faecalibacterium growth both in vitro and in vivo without significantly affecting Bifidobacterium, which is typically increased by traditional prebiotics,” the researchers wrote, adding that mechanistic analysis revealed a “crossfeeding pathway between gut bacteria.”
“In this pathway, Parabacteroides species converted the gluconic acid moiety of maltobionic and lactobionic acids to glucuronic acid, which was then preferentially utilized by Faecalibacterium,” they explained.
Due to Parabacteroides’s small genome size and capacity for utilizing sugar, the researchers noted that the finding was surprising and indicated a specialized metabolic capability.
“These findings suggest that gluconic acid-containing oligosaccharides are promising prebiotics for the targeted enhancement of beneficial Faecalibacterium and underscore the importance of microbial interactions in prebiotic research, offering new avenues for personalized microbiome modulation strategies,” they wrote.
The study noted that further research should aim to identify the enzymatic pathways responsible for gluconic acid conversion and that future randomized trials with diverse populations and metagenomic analysis will be necessary to refine these findings.
Source: The ISME Journal, 2025. doi: 10.1093/ismejo/wraf027. “Targeted prebiotic application of gluconic acid-containing oligosaccharides promotes Faecalibacterium growth through microbial cross-feeding networks”. Authors: H. Negishi et al.