@article{article_1771027, title={Modulation of SCFA-Producing Bacteria by the Combination of Intermittent Fasting and Probiotics in the Aging Gut Microbiota}, journal={Hendese Teknik Bilimler ve Mühendislik Dergisi}, volume={2}, pages={78–83}, year={2025}, DOI={10.5281/zenodo.17474573}, author={Ceylani, Taha and Kabayer, Sevcan and Yıldırım, Vesila and Esmertaş, Enes and Teker, Hikmet Taner}, keywords={Aralıklı Oruç, Probiyotikler, Bağırsak Mikrobiyotası, Kısa Zincirli Yağ Asitleri, Disbiyoz, Yaşlanma}, 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.}, number={2}, publisher={Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi}