Relative population size of a mixed L. plantarum strain cocktail in vivo and in vitro. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum intergenic regions

Synbiotics combine the concepts of probiotics and prebiotics to synergistically enhance the health- associated effects of both components. Previously, we have shown that the intestinal persistence of inulin-utilizing L. plantarum Lp900 is significantly increased in rats fed an inulin-supplemented, high-calcium diet. Here we employed a competitive population dynamics approach to demonstrate that inulin and GOS can selectively enrich L. plantarum strains that utilize these substrates for growth during in vitro cultivation, but that such enrichment did not occur during intestinal transit in rats fed a GOS or inulin-supplemented diet. The intestinal persistence of all L. plantarum strains increased irrespective of their prebiotic utilization phenotype. Therefore, the capacity to utilize prebiotics for growth does not underlie their enhanced persistence in prebiotic supplemented diets.