A BENEO-Orafti Newsletter - Spring 2008 - Nr. 18:
Prebiotics and healthy ageing

In the picture: Prebiotics and healthy ageing

In the new animal study, the effects of life-long supplementation with oligofructose-enriched inulin (Orafti®Synergy1) on morphological and biological markers and lifespan were investigated (Rozan et al. 2008). Three-month old rats (60 males and 60 females) were randomised into 4 groups (n=30 per group): control male group (Cont-M), Orafti®Synergy1 male group (Synergy1-M), control female group (Cont-F) and Orafti®Synergy1 female group (Synergy1-F). Rats received either a diet with 10% of Orafti®Synergy1 or a standard diet (control) for 27 months.

The rats were weighed every 2 weeks and their food intake was evaluated on 4 successive days every 4 to 6 weeks. Body composition evaluation (electric conductivity), anatomo-pathological analyses and biological sampling (cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and glycaemia) were performed at 12, 18 and 24 months of age (at every time point 3 rats per group were killed) and the remainder of the rats were followed until the age they died. Rats were housed in cages in a regular environment with an inverted light/dark cycle and had free access to tap water and their specific diets.

Throughout the whole experiment, animals were placed once a week for two hours in a training environment to allow them to age harmoniously and to avoid physical, neurological, physiological, psychological and cognitive impairments that occur when breeding in restricted cages due to the lack of social and environmental stimulations.

rat

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