Modulation of SCFA-Producing Bacteria by the Combination of Intermittent Fasting and Probiotics in the Aging Gut Microbiota

Year 2025, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 78 - 83, 30.10.2025

Taha Ceylani , Sevcan Kabayer , Vesila Yıldırım , Enes Esmertaş , Hikmet Taner Teker

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17474573

Abstract

Aging is accompanied by profound alterations in gut microbiota composition, often leading to a dysbiotic state characterized by reduced abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producers. Intermittent fasting (IF) and probiotics (Prb) have emerged as dietary strategies with potential to counteract these changes. Twenty-four-month-old Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to control (Cnt), intermittent fasting (IF), probiotic (Prb), or combined IF+Prb groups. Cecal contents were subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing, and the relative abundance of key SCFA-producing taxa was determined. Correlation analyses (Spearman and Pearson) and heatmap visualizations were applied to examine ecological relationships and group-specific shifts. The control group displayed a dysbiotic profile with diminished representation of butyrate- and propionate-producing taxa. In contrast, IF, Prb, and IF+Prb interventions consistently promoted the enrichment of core SCFA producers such as Anaerostipes hadrus, Roseburia intestinalis, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and Akkermansia muciniphila. Additional taxa including Intestinimonas butyriciproducens, Coprococcus catus, and Clostridium hylemonae also showed increased abundances under intervention conditions. Correlation analyses revealed coordinated ecological restructuring, supporting restoration of microbial networks linked to SCFA production. These findings demonstrate that intermittent fasting and probiotics, independently or in combination, mitigate age-associated dysbiosis by selectively enhancing SCFA-producing bacterial communities. Such interventions may represent promising nutritional strategies to restore gut microbial balance and improve host metabolic health in aging.

Keywords

Intermittent Fasting , Probiotics , Gut Microbiota , Short-Chain Fatty Acids , Dysbiosis , Aging

Yaşlı Bağırsak Mikrobiyotasında Aralıklı Oruç ve Probiyotiklerin Kombinasyonuyla SCFA Üreten Bakterilerin Modülasyonu

Abstract

Yaşlanma, bağırsak mikrobiyotası bileşiminde derin değişikliklere eşlik eder ve bu genellikle kısa zincirli yağ asidi (SCFA) üreticilerinin azalmış bolluğu ile karakterize disbiyotik bir duruma yol açar. Aralıklı oruç (IF) ve probiyotikler (Prb), bu değişikliklere karşı koyma potansiyeline sahip diyet stratejileri olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Yirmi dört aylık Sprague Dawley sıçanları kontrol (Cnt), aralıklı oruç (IF), probiyotik (Prb) veya kombine IF + Prb gruplarına atandı. Kör bağırsak içerikleri 16S rDNA dizilemesine tabi tutuldu ve önemli SCFA üreten taksonların göreceli bolluğu belirlendi. Ekolojik ilişkileri ve grup-özgü değişimleri incelemek için korelasyon analizleri (Spearman ve Pearson) ve ısı haritası görselleştirmeleri uygulandı. Kontrol grubu, bütirat ve propiyonat üreten taksonların azalmış temsiliyle disbiyotik bir profil gösterdi. Buna karşılık, IF, Prb ve IF+Prb müdahaleleri, Anaerostipes hadrus, Roseburia intestinalis, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens ve Akkermansia muciniphila gibi temel SCFA üreticilerinin zenginleştirilmesini sürekli olarak desteklemiştir. Intestinimonas butyriciproducens, Coprococcus catus ve Clostridium hylemonae dahil ek taksonlar da müdahale koşulları altında artan bolluk göstermiştir. Korelasyon analizleri, SCFA üretimiyle bağlantılı mikrobiyal ağların restorasyonunu destekleyen koordineli ekolojik yeniden yapılanmayı ortaya koymuştur. Bu bulgular, aralıklı oruç ve probiyotiklerin, bağımsız olarak veya birlikte, SCFA üreten bakteri topluluklarını seçici olarak artırarak yaşa bağlı disbiyozu hafiflettiğini göstermektedir. Bu tür müdahaleler, bağırsak mikrobiyal dengesini yeniden sağlamak ve yaşlanmada konakçı metabolik sağlığını iyileştirmek için umut verici beslenme stratejileri sunabilir.

Keywords

Aralıklı Oruç , Probiyotikler , Bağırsak Mikrobiyotası , Kısa Zincirli Yağ Asitleri , Disbiyoz , Yaşlanma

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