Impaired Fermentation in the Absence of Gut Microbiota Promotes Inulin-Induced Intestinal Inflammation

In germ-free Il10-/- C57BL/6J mice, inulin—but not cellulose—induces weight loss, diarrhea, rectal prolapse, and elevated TLR2/TLR4, SAA, and lipocalin-2.

• Why it matters: IBD involves dysbiosis and impaired fiber fermentation, yet inulin can worsen inflammation; the study tests whether lack of fermentation leaves inulin to trigger epithelial immune signaling.
• What they did: Germ-free and conventional Il10-/- and WT mice were fed inulin or matched fiber analogs, and GF Il10-/- mice were colonized with fecal microbiota from UC patients or fiber-intolerant healthy individuals; colonic gene expression and serum proteins were measured by qPCR and ELISA.
• The result: Dysbiotic colonization attenuated inulin’s immune activation in GF Il10-/- mice, and beta-fructan fibers (fructooligosaccharides and chicory-derived inulin) provoked stronger inflammation than agave-derived inulin, supporting fermentation- and composition-dependent tolerance.

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