ArticleBMC microbiology2026
Carotenoids modulate fermentation of inulin ex vivo in IBS and overweight adult gut microbiota.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Carotenoids in the Context of the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern: From Food Matrix and Bioavailability to Biomarkers and Human Health.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCarotenoids have direct antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. Owing to their low bioavailability, they also reach the colon, yet their microbiome interactions remain poorly characterized.
methodsWe investigated how β-carotene (BC), lutein (LU), lycopene (LY) and zeaxanthin (ZE), at biological relevant doses (between 1 and 60 mg/d), impact composition and metabolite production of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and overweight (OW) adult gut microbiota using the ex vivo SIFR
resultsWe observed phenotype-specific microbiota characteristics for each cohort at baseline. Carotenoids alone had only minor effects but in combination with prebiotic inulin significantly altered community composition (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, P < 0.05) and enhanced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. Most carotenoids increased butyrate production vs. inulin alone with ZE (at 2 mg/d) in IBS (+ 7.6%) and LU (at 60 mg/d) in OW (+ 8.0%) showing the strongest effects (p
conclusionsAntioxidant carotenoids may support anaerobic gut microbes including dominant butyrate producers and counteract phenotype-specific dysbiosis, potentially offering novel dietary approaches for IBS and obesity-associated dysbiosis. As these effects were observed when carotenoids were combined with inulin, carotenoids may have greater impacts when consumed as part of a fiber-rich diet, reflecting their natural occurrence in plant-based foods.
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