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Bacterial viability in faecal transplants: Which bacteria survive?

Lito E Papanicolas1, Jocelyn M Choo2, Yanan Wang2

  • 1The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; The SAHMRI Microbiome Research Laboratory, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia; Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Ebiomedicine
|February 24, 2019
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Preparing faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in air significantly reduces viable microbes, especially beneficial anaerobes. This impacts the gut microbiota

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) shows therapeutic promise for inflammatory conditions.
  • The mechanisms of FMT benefit are not fully understood, but microbial viability is considered crucial.
  • Standard FMT preparation protocols may compromise the viability, diversity, and function of transplanted microbes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of common faecal transplant preparation methods on microbial viability.
  • To assess how anaerobic, ambient air, and freeze-thaw processing affects microbial composition and function.

Main Methods:

  • Stool samples from eight donors were processed under anaerobic, ambient air, and freeze-thaw conditions.
  • Propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment combined with qPCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing assessed viable microbiota.
  • Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) analysis determined the functional potential of the processed samples.

Main Results:

  • Processing in ambient air reduced bacterial viability to 19%, significantly decreasing key anaerobic commensals like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.
  • Ambient air exposure led to up to 12-fold reductions in beneficial taxa and impaired short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) biosynthesis (butyrate, acetate).
  • Freeze-thaw processing reduced overall viable bacteria but did not significantly alter microbial composition.

Conclusions:

  • Preparing faecal material in ambient air drastically reduces viable anaerobic microbes and their metabolic functions.
  • This processing method compromises the anti-inflammatory potential of faecal transplants by reducing key metabolite production.
  • Optimized preparation protocols are essential to preserve the integrity and efficacy of faecal microbiota transplantation.
Keywords:
Bacterial viabilityFecal microbiota transplantationPropidium monoazideqPCR

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