Dynamics of microbial communities during inulin fermentation associated with the temporal response in SCFA production

The ecology driving the remodeling of gut microbial consortia with dietary fiber intervention remains incomplete. We investigated the short-term dynamics of the gut microbiota and metabolic function during inulin fermentation with distinct microbiota from two swine breeds using an in vitro fermentation model. Different gut microbiota at a transient temporal time displayed a similar response to inulin intervention such as the similar fermentation stage and a rapid response followed by gradual stabilization of microbial diversity. Inulin-induced bacterial succession and individual metabolic change were determined by the original microbial compositions, in particular the α-diversity. Levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were predictable with the key bacteria by the regression model, especially butyrate was associated with the abundance and ecological interactions of Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Bifidobacterium thermophilum and Megasphaera elsdenii. This study emphasizes the importance of complex ecology to understand fiber-induced microbiome and metabolic changes, thus providing a reference for predictable dietary responses.