Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
07:32
Murine Fecal Isolation and Microbiota Transplantation
Published on: May 26, 2023
A Refined Method for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Using Nutella.
Ida W Henriksen1,2, Camilla H F Hansen1, Janne Koch3
1Section of Biomedicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Clinical and Translational Science
|May 28, 2026
Summary
Nutella-based fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in mice offers a less stressful, effective alternative to traditional methods. This voluntary intake approach shows comparable microbiota engraftment to oral gavage and pipette delivery.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Animal Research Ethics
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is crucial for studying gut microbiome dynamics.
- Traditional FMT methods like oral gavage in mice can cause animal distress and are labor-intensive.
- Novel delivery systems are needed to improve animal welfare and research efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of voluntary Nutella-based FMT with traditional methods (oral gavage, pipette delivery) in mice.
- To assess the impact of different FMT delivery methods on microbiota engraftment and animal welfare.
- To evaluate the potential of Nutella as a refined delivery vehicle for FMT.
Main Methods:
- Mouse-to-mouse FMT was performed on antibiotic-treated BALB/c mice using three delivery techniques.
- Methods included oral gavage, pipette delivery, and voluntary intake of a Nutella-inoculum mixture.
- 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (GridION Nanopore) analyzed fecal microbiota composition pre- and post-FMT.
Main Results:
- Nutella-based FMT demonstrated comparable microbiota engraftment rates to oral gavage and pipette delivery.
- Oral gavage led to greater variability and divergence from donor microbiota compared to pipette delivery.
- The oral gavage group exhibited the highest number of genera differing from the donor composition.
Conclusions:
- Voluntary Nutella-based FMT is an efficient, reproducible, and less stressful alternative to forced-feeding methods.
- This method shows promise for improving animal welfare and reducing technician workload in FMT studies.
- Further research is warranted to explore the full potential of Nutella-based FMT.
