Abstract/Summary

Malnutrition affects the world’s most vulnerable populations including those in Ghana. The main causes of malnutrition are poor diet and infections such as diarrhoea, thus linking the gut microbiota to this condition. The prevalence of malnutrition is still on the rise despite several interventions put in place, such as ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF). There is a need to develop more dynamic and sustainable approaches to fight malnutrition and targeting the gut microbiota provides great opportunity. Prebiotics, substances that target beneficial gut bacteria thereby improving host health, have been shown to reduce childhood diarrhoea and diarrhoea can lead to malnutrition. The aim of this work was to identify ingredients that can positively modulate the gut microbiota and potentially reduce the risk of malnutrition. Firstly, the effect of a local vegetable, ayoyo and inulin, on the gut microbiota was determined in vitro. It was observed that inulin increased Bifidobacterium abundance and SCFA whilst ayoyo increased Bacteroides and propionate concentration. A further local vegetable source was investigated, where in vitro fermentation of dandelion resulted in increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and SCFA, in a similar fashion to inulin. Further incorporation of dandelion and inulin with RUTF led to increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and SCFA concentrations in an in vitro batch-culture. Finally, a more robust in vitro gut model system was designed to mimic malnutrition in Ghanaian children. It was observed that although RUTF treatment modified the gut microbiota, addition of inulin resulted in an enhanced gut microbiota characterised by increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (reported to be reduced during diarrhoea and malnutrition) and reduced pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae (which increases in diarrhoea and malnutrition). In all, the results of this work imply that targeting the gut microbiota during malnutrition, using prebiotics, is a promising strategy for fighting childhood malnutrition.