Summary: | In order to investigate the effect and appropriate dose of prebiotics, this study evaluated the effect of two levels of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) in cats. Twenty-four healthy adult cats were divided into three groups: no-XOS control diet with 1% cellulose; low XOS supplementation (LXOS) with 0.04% XOS and 0.96% cellulose; and high XOS supplementation (HXOS) with 0.40% XOS and 0.60% cellulose. Both XOS groups increased blood 3-hydroxybutyryl carnitine levels and decreased hexadecanedioyl carnitine levels. Both XOS treatments displayed an increased bacterial abundance of <i>Blautia</i>, <i>Clostridium</i> XI, and <i>Collinsella</i> and a decreased abundance of <i>Megasphaera</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium</i>. LXOS groups increased fecal pH and bacterial abundance of <i>Streptococcus</i> and <i>Lactobacillus</i>, decreased blood glutaryl carnitine concentration, and <i>Catenibacterium</i> abundance. HXOS group showed a more distinct microbiome profile and higher species richness, and an increased bacterial abundance of <i>Subdoligranulum</i>, <i>Ruminococcaceae</i> genus (unassigned genus), <i>Erysipelotrichaceae</i> genus, and <i>Lachnospiraceae</i>. Correlations between bacterial abundances and blood and fecal parameters were also observed. In conclusion, XOS could benefit feline gut health by altering microbiota; its effects dependant on the dose. The higher-dose XOS increased bacterial populations that possibly promoted intestinal fermentation, while the lower dose altered populations of carbohydrate-metabolic microbiota and possibly modulated host metabolism. Low-dose prebiotics may become a trend in future studies.
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