Effects of Whole-Grain Rice and Wheat on Composition of Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Rats

Diets rich in whole grain (WG) cereals bring lower disease risks compared with refined grain-based diets. We investigated the effects of polished rice (PR), refined wheat (RW), unpolished rice (UPR), and whole wheat (WW) on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and gut microbiota in ileal, cecal, and colonic digesta of normal rats. Animals fed with UPR and WW diets exhibited higher total SCFA in cecal and colonic digesta compared with those fed with PR and RW diets. Wheat diets contributed higher total SCFA than rice diets. In cecal and colonic digesta, animals fed with UPR and WW diets demonstrated higher acetate and butyrate contents than those given PR and RW. Firmicutes were the dominant eumycota in rat ileum digesta (>92% abundance). Cecal and colonic digesta were dominated by Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, and Bacteroidetes. UPR and WW affected gut microbiota, decreasing the proportion of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. SMB53, Lactobacillus, and Faecalibacterium were the main bacterial genera in ileal digesta. Akkermansia was highest in cecal and colonic digesta. In the colonic digesta of rats, the relative abundance of Akkermansia in rats on wheat diets was higher than that in rats on rice diets (P < 0.05). Thus, UPR and WW could modulate gut microbiota composition and increase the SCFA concentration. Wheat diet was superior to rice diet in terms of intestinal microbiota adjustment.