Benefits of fermentable fructo-oligosaccharides as dietary fibre in allergic asthma

short summary

This Dutch-Lung-Foundation/Health-Holland funded public-private collaboration between Utrecht University, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam and Danone Nutricia Research B.V. studies possible benefits of fermentable fibres in allergic asthma. Pre-clinical studies showed an increasing dose of dietary fructo- oligosaccharides to silence pulmonary inflammation in house dust mite induced allergic asthma.

Societal/economic impact

300 Million people suffer from asthma involving chronic airway inflammation. In many asthma control is not fully met, rendering frequent symptoms needing rescue medication. Dietary fibres improve microbiome function, yielding anti-inflammatory metabolites dampening lung inflammation. This may benefit asthma control in children and adults.

Project’s approach and conceptualisation

Fructo-oligosaccharides are fermented by our microbiome, yielding anti-inflammatory short chain fatty acids which may benefit allergic asthma patients. In pre-clinical studies (murine asthma model) these fructo-oligosaccharides could not prevent allergic sensitization nor influx of inflammatory cells into the lungs, also not when combined with Bifidobacterium breve. However, increasing dosage of fructo- oligosaccharides suppressed allergic type 2 T-cell activation and inflammatory cytokine release, while increasing intestinal short chain fatty acids. The optimal dose fructooligosaccharides will next be studied in a chronic asthma model, further revealing effects on airway hyperreactivity and remodelling (autumn 2024). In vitro studies indicated that butyrate reduces activation of bronchial epithelial cells (samples sent for transcriptomics (RNAseq)). Clinical study samples of human receiving a diet containing fructooligosaccharides have recently become available for epigenetic analyses (autumn 2024).