Predicting responses to prebiotic fibres: linking microbiota, function and clinical outcomes

Prebiotics and fermentable fibre modulate gut microbiota composition and function in ways considered beneficial to health. However, both microbiota and clinical responses can vary widely among individuals, which reduces their efficacy as dietary interventions across populations and thus represents a key challenge for the field. In this Review, we discuss potential reasons for the individualized responses to prebiotics and putative prebiotic fibres and how this variability influences interactions among gut microbial species as well as between microorganisms and fibre structures. We further describe strategies for predicting and optimizing responses to prebiotic and putative prebiotic fibre treatments. Specifically, we highlight methods for targeted and predictable individual responses using systems biology, mechanistic modelling and machine learning approaches. We also consider how the physicochemical structures of fermentable fibre influence similarity in gut microbial responses. By integrating this knowledge, solutions are proposed to overcome inter-individual variability and improve the clinical efficacy and utility of prebiotic fibres.