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pH and Peptide Supply Can Radically Alter Bacterial Populations and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Ratios within Microbial Communities from the Human Colon

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Walker, Alan W., Duncan, Sylvia H., McWilliam Leitch, E. Carol, Child, Matthew W., Flint, Harry J.·2005·Applied and Environmental Microbiology
DOI 10.1128/aem.71.7.3692-3700.2005PMC PMC1169066
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Abstract

The effects of changes in the gut environment upon the human colonic microbiota are poorly understood. The response of human fecal microbial communities from two donors to alterations in pH (5.5 or 6.5) and peptides (0.6 or 0.1%) was studied here in anaerobic continuous cultures supplied with a mixed carbohydrate source. Final butyrate concentrations were markedly higher at pH 5.5 (0.6% peptide mean, 24.9 mM; 0.1% peptide mean, 13.8 mM) than at pH 6.5 (0.6% peptide mean, 5.3 mM; 0.1% peptide mean, 7.6 mM). At pH 5.5 and 0.6% peptide input, a high butyrate production coincided with decreasing acetate concentrations. The highest propionate concentrations (mean, 20.6 mM) occurred at pH 6.5 and 0.6% peptide input. In parallel, major bacterial groups were monitored by using fluorescence in situ hybridization with a panel of specific 16S rRNA probes. Bacteroides levels increased from ca. 20 to 75% of total eubacteria after a shift from pH 5.5 to 6.5, at 0.6% peptide, coinciding with high propionate formation. Conversely, populations of the butyrate-producing Roseburia group were highest (11 to 19%) at pH 5.5 but fell at pH 6.5, a finding that correlates with butyrate formation. When tested in batch culture, three Bacteroides species grew well at pH 6.7 but poorly at pH 5.5, which is consistent with the behavior observed for the mixed community. Two Roseburia isolates grew equally well at pH 6.7 and 5.5. These findings suggest that a lowering of pH resulting from substrate fermentation in the colon may boost butyrate production and populations of butyrate-producing bacteria, while at the same time curtailing the growth of Bacteroides spp.

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  • Aerobic exercise also increases fecal SCFA concentration, which can decrease pH in the colonic lumen.

    “Aerobic exercise also increases fecal SCFA concentration which can decrease pH in the colonic lumen [125].”

    From The athletic gut microbiota (2020) · cites this paper as [125]

  • The regulation of bacterial communities by pH could be relevant in the context of cholestasis, where the presence of bile acids in the intestine decreases.

    “The regulation of bacterial communities by pH40 could be relevant in the context of cholestasis where the presence of bile acids in the intestine decreases.”

    From Cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation promotes changes in the intestinal microbiome in mice (2019) · cites this paper as [40]

  • Bacteroides increase their abundance when the intestinal pH changes from acid to more basic, at the expense of butyrate-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.

    “Interestingly, Bacteroides (enriched in BDL 3d) increase their abundance when the intestinal pH changes from acid to more basic, in detriment of bacteria (e.g. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii) that produce butyrate, a short chain fatty acid with well-known beneficial functions in the intestine38,39.”

    From Cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation promotes changes in the intestinal microbiome in mice (2019) · cites this paper as [40]

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [12]Duncan, S. H., A. Barcenilla, C. S. Stewart, S. E. Pryde, and H. J. Flint. 2002. Acetate utilization and butyryl CoA:acetate CoA transferase in human colonic bacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68:5186-5190. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. [39]Macfarlane, S., and G. T. Macfarlane. 1995. Proteolysis and amino acid fermentation, p. 75-100. In G. R. Gibson and G. T. Macfarlane (ed.), Human colonic bacteria: role in nutrition, physiology, and pathology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.
  3. [40]Madsen, K. L. 2004. Interactions between probiotic bacteria and the intestinal epithelium. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 44:S100. [Google Scholar]
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Authors
Walker, A. W., Duncan, S. H., McWilliam Leitch, E. C., Child, M. W., & Flint, H. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Aberdeen (GB)
  • Microbial Genetics Group, Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
  • University of Dundee (GB)
Corresponding author
Flint, Harry J.
ORCID
Venue
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Published
2005-07
Volume
71
Issue
7
Pages
3692-3700
ISSN
  • 0099-2240 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-5336
DOI
10.1128/aem.71.7.3692-3700.2005
PMC
PMC1169066
OpenAlex
W2160427027
Cited by
796
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 37 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 74 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 57 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 47 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 23
FWCI
6.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.asm.org/non-commercial-tdm-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Applied and Environmental Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
Keywords
colonic microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, butyrate production, propionate, acetate, pH, dietary peptides, Bacteroides, Roseburia
MeSH terms
Anaerobiosis, Bacteria, Anaerobic, Bacteroides, Colon, Culture Media, Fatty Acids, Fermentation, Humans, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Peptides, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S, DNA Probes, In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence, Ecosystem

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