Petfood applications of inulin and oligofructose

Published data on intestinal microbiota of dogs and cats are limited but suggest the presence of a complex and diverse colonic bacterial population (34 genera including 129 species) the majority of which are anaerobes. During the colonic fermentation of endogenous and undigested amino acids, several putrefactive compounds (i.e., ammonia, aliphatic amines, indoles, phenols and volatile sulfur-containing compounds) are produced and are responsible for the malodor of dog and cat feces. These fecal odor components also have been implicated as causes of colorectal cancer; therefore, dietary manipulation of gut microbiota towards a potentially more remedial community (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) is gaining more attention. The health benefits derived from dietary supplementation of prebiotics (e.g., oligofructose and inulin) have been documented in humans. However, little is known of a potentially similar role in companion animals. Feeding another prebiotic (i.e., lactosucrose) to dogs or cats is reported to increase the numbers of bifidobacteria and decrease the numbers of pathogens and the concentration of fecal odor components. In our laboratory, oligofructose supplementation numerically decreased the concentrations of ammonia and amines and increased the numbers of bifidobacteria in dog feces.