Integrative Analysis of Probiotic-Mediated Remodeling in Canine Gut Microbiota and Metabolites Using a Fermenter for an Intestinal Microbiota Model.

In contemporary society, the increasing number of pet-owning households has significantly heightened interest in companion animal health, expanding the probiotics market aimed at enhancing pet well-being. Consequently, research into the gut microbiota of companion animals has gained momentum, however, ethical and societal challenges associated with experiments on intelligent and pain-sensitive animals necessitate alternative research methodologies to reduce reliance on live animal testing. To address this need, the Fermenter for Intestinal Microbiota Model (FIMM) is being investigated as an tool designed to replicate gastrointestinal conditions of living animals, offering a means to study gut microbiota while minimizing animal experimentation. The FIMM system explored interactions between intestinal microbiota and probiotics within a simulated gut environment. Two strains of commercial probiotic bacteria, IDCC 2102 and IDCC 4301, along with a newly isolated strain from domestic dogs, SLAM AK001, were introduced into the FIMM system with gut microbiota from a beagle model. Findings highlight the system's capacity to mirror and modulate the gut environment, evidenced by an increase in beneficial bacteria like and and a decrease in the pathogen . The study also verified the system's ability to facilitate accurate interactions between probiotics and commensal bacteria, demonstrated by the production of short-chain fatty acids and bacterial metabolites, including amino acids and gamma-aminobutyric acid precursors. Thus, the results advocate for FIMM as an system that authentically simulates the intestinal environment, presenting a viable alternative for examining gut microbiota and metabolites in companion animals.