ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Microbes
Fiber mixtures containing chicory inulin, wheat dextrin, and cellulose, or tapioca dextrin alone beneficially modulate microbial metabolic activity and composition in short-term colonic simulations
Provisionally accepted
Jonas Ghyselinck1
Lynn Verstrepen1
Cindy Duysburgh1Regina Wiche2
Katharina S. Kuhn2
Marianne Müller2Valentin Faerber-Frottier2Massimo Marzorati1,3*- 1ProDigest (Belgium), Ghent, Belgium
- 2Fresenius-Kabi Deutschland GmbH, Bad Homborg, Germany
- 3Center of Microbial Ecology and Technology, University of Ghent, Gent, Belgium
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Background: Dietary fiber blends are often included in enteral nutrition to support gut health, a key aspect of Medical Nutrition Therapy. These blends help maintain intestinal integrity and promote a healthy gut microbiota. This in vitro study investigated the prebiotic potential of three combinations of inulin, wheat dextrin, and cellulose, and pure tapioca dextrin. Methods: Predigested test products were incubated with fecal suspensions from three healthy donors using a colonic simulation model. Microbial fermentative activity, metabolite production, and composition were analyzed at 0, 6, 24, and 48 h. After 48 h, samples were tested for effects on intestinal barrier function and cytokine production using a Caco-2/THP1 co-culture model. Results: All test products were well fermented, with significantly increased total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production at 48 h (p<0.05). Individual SCFA levels varied by donor and fiber composition. Levels of ammonium, which indicates proteolytic fermentation, significantly decreased. All fiber mixtures and tapioca dextrin increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria (including Bifidobacterium), and Firmicutes. Improvements in intestinal barrier integrity and immunomodulatory effects were donor dependent, with strongest effects for Donor C. Notably, fiber mixtures with lower or no cellulose statistically significantly increased anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 levels across all donors. Conclusion: Dietary fiber mixtures containing inulin, wheat dextrin, and cellulose, or pure tapioca dextrin demonstrate prebiotic effects and reduce potentially toxic proteolytic fermentation products. These results indicate the potential of these fiber mixtures in enteral nutrition to support gut integrity and immune modulation, benefiting patients requiring Medical Nutrition Therapy.
Keywords: Cellulose, Dietary Fiber, Enteral Nutrition, Inulin, prebiotic, short-chain fatty acids, tapioca dextrin, Wheat dextrin
Received: 18 Nov 2025; Accepted: 23 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Ghyselinck, Verstrepen, Duysburgh, Wiche, Kuhn, Müller, Faerber-Frottier and Marzorati. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Massimo Marzorati
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