Influence of Human Age on the Prebiotic Effect of Pectin-Derived Oligosaccharides Obtained from Apple Pomace

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prebiotic effect of pectin-derived oligosaccharides (POS) obtained from apple pomace on the growth and metabolism of microbiota from the human gastrointestinal tract as a function of the age of the host. The counts of major bacterial groups Bifidobacterium sp., lactobacilli, Clostridium sp., Bacteroides sp., Enterococcus sp. and Enterobacteria were assessed during long-term in vitro fermentation of mixed cultures in a prebiotic medium. Comparative assessment of bacterial diversity in the human fecal microbiota was performed relative to the age of the host, from childhood to old age, through younger years and middle age. The age group of the host was found to be an important factor that determined the prebiotic effect of POS, which was related to both the qualitative and quantitative composition of fecal microbiota and its metabolism. In contrast to the microbiota of elderly subjects, the child-derived intestinal microbiota underwent significantly different alterations in terms of the proportion and composition of lactic acid bacteria, leading to a more favorable pattern of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and lactic acid levels.