After ascertaining the prebiotic potential of tributyrin in a first study, we wanted to discover synbiotic combination further stimulating butyrate production. Relying on the high throughput of the ex vivo SIFR^® technology, an exhaustive investigation was set up for the prebiotic (tributyrin) and the probiotics (Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, Limosilactobacillus reuteri), alone or in combination. To account for inter-individual variations, the gut microbiota of 6 donors was tested in parallel. The experiment confirmed that, while each molecule of tributyrin is easily converted to 3 butyrate on its own, the addition of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG or Limosilactobacillus reuteri opened an additional pathway of conversion through butyrate by first converting tributyrin-derived glycerol to lactate, which could in turn could be metabolised to butyrate by the endemic microorganism Coprococcus catus.

Full article: Van den Abbeele et al, 2023, International Journal of Molecular Sciences