Effects of prebiotics and a synthetic microbiome consortium on the composition and metabolites of the elderly gut microbiota in vitro

Aging is accompanied by gut microbiota alterations, including shifts in community structure and the depletion of health-associated taxa. Modulating the gut microbiota through targeted interventions such as prebiotics or administering synthetic microbial consortia could support healthy aging. To investigate these approaches, we performed a 24 h artificial colon fermentation seeded with fecal microbiota from community-dwelling (CM, healthy) and long-stay-dwelling (LS, frail) older adults, inoculating a basal medium as control. Treatments included supplementation of the donor microbiota with a synthetic microbial consortium (S7), a prebiotic mix (MIX), and a combination of MIX and S7 (MIX+S7).