Application of the Colon-Simulation Technique for Studying the Effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on Basic Parameters of Porcine Cecal Microbial Metabolism Disturbed by Clindamycin

Aims: The present study analyzed the effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on the biochemical parameters of microbial hindgut metabolism disturbed by clindamycin. Methods: The experiments were carried out under in vitro conditions using the semicontinuous colon-simulation technique. This technique is standardized for quantitatively measuring parameters of microbial hindgut metabolism. The fluid and particle phase of pig hindgut contents were used for the in vitro incubations. The 5-day control period was followed by clindamycin exposure alone (312.5 mg/day for 5 days) or by a combined treatment of clindamycin and S. boulardii (400 mg/day for 5 days). Results: Clindamycin resulted in significant decreases in production rates of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which were associated with substantial changes in molar SCFA proportions at the expense of butyrate. These effects could at least partly be compensated for by S. boulardii, in particular by enhancements of acetate and propionate fermentation to control levels. In contrast, butyrate fermentation could not be reconstituted. In a second experiment the potential use of S. boulardii as a substrate for hindgut microbial metabolism was studied by comparing living and autoclaved yeast. Propionate and butyrate fermentation rates were unaffected whereas acetate fermentation tended to be higher in the presence of living yeast. Conclusions: S. boulardii can be effective to compensate for changes in microbial fermentation in response to antibiotic treatment. Despite the lack of statistical significance it might be concluded that the increase in fermentation end products can only partly be explained by the utilization of the yeast as a substrate for microbial metabolism.