Table 3.
Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations (mmol/L) following incubation with test substrates using pre- and weaning infant faecal inoculum. Mean ± SE.
| Preweaning | Weaning | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | HAMS | Lactulose | Control | HAMS | HAMSA | Lactulose | |
| Total SCFA # | 16.68 ± 1.7 a | 23.70 ± 1.7 b,* | 61.84 ± 5.4 c,* | 20.11 ± 2.3 a | 34.85 ± 4.0 b,* | 37.81 ± 4.2 b,* | 78.27 ± 4.5 c,* |
| Acetate | 14.70 ± 1.5 a | 20.93 ± 1.5 b,* | 56.11 ± 6.5 c,* | 16.98 ± 2.1 a | 27.73 ± 3.3 b,* | 30.27 ± 3.1 b,* | 73.42 ± 5.0 c,* |
| Propionate | 0.83 ± 0.17 a | 1.33 ± 0.33 a | 1.13 ± 0.80 a | 1.60 ± 0.32 a | 4.14 ± 0.91 b* | 5.56 ± 1.2 c* | 2.89 ± 0.74 a,b,c,* |
| Butyrate | 0.36 ± 0.13 a | 0.74 ± 0.26 b | 0.27 ± 0.12 a | 1.09 ± 0.26 a | 2.20 ± 0.59 b* | 1.23 ± 0.33 a | 1.81 ± 1.1 a |
# Total SCFA (mmol/L) = sum of acetate, propionate, butyrate and minor SCFAs (valeric, caproic, isobutyric, isovaleric). Within the preweaning and weaning groups a one-way ANOVA was used. Unlike superscript letters within each row are significantly different (Bonferroni adjusted p < 0.05). * defined as different from control (p < 0.05).