Long-term D-Allose Administration Favorably Alters the Intestinal Environment in Aged Male Mice

D-Allose, a C3 epimer of D-glucose, has potential to improve human health as a functional food. However, its effect on the intestinal environment remains unknown. Aged humans progressively express changes in the gut, some of which deleteriously affect gastrointestinal health. In this study, we profiled the intestinal microbiome in aged mice and analyzed organic acids produced by bacteria in cecum contents after long-term ingestion of D-allose. D-Allose did not significantly change organic acid concentration. However, long-term ingestion did significantly increase the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and reduce the relative abundance of Proteobacteria. These results suggest that oral D-allose improves the proportion of favorable intestinal flora in aged mice. D-Allose significantly decreased the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae bacteria, but increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides acidifaciens and Akkermansia muciniphila. Thus, D-allose might serve as a nutraceutical capable of improving the balance of gut microbiome during aging.