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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota
Published on: July 31, 2019
Effect of chito-oligosaccharides over human faecal microbiota during fermentation in batch cultures
Inmaculada Mateos-Aparicio1, Marian Mengíbar2, Angeles Heras2
1Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
Chitosan with high number of deacetylated units, its reacetylated derivative and COS obtained through an enzymatic treatment with chitosanase were tested in pH controlled batch cultures to investigate the ability of the human faecal microbiota to utilise them. Chitosan derivatives with high number of deacetylated units decreased the bacterial populations: Bifidobacterium spp., Eubacterium rectale/Clostridium coccoides, C. Histolyticum and Bacteroides/Prevotella. On the other hand, chitosan derivatives with high content of acetylated residues maintained the tested bacterial groups and could increase Lactobacillus/Enterococcus. Regarding short chain fatty acids (SCFA), only low Mw COS increased the production in similar levels than fructo-oligossacharides (FOS). The acetylated chitosans and their COS do not appear as potential prebiotics but did not affect negatively the faecal microbiota, while derivatives with high number of deacetylated units could induce a colonic microbiota imbalance.
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