Gum acacia and gut bacteria in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests using human faeces, gum acacia boosted bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, similar to the known prebiotic FOS.
It also raised short-chain fatty acids like acetate, propionate and butyrate.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Bifidobacteria increase
In lab tests, 1% gum acacia increased Bifidobacterium spp. after 5, 10 and 24 hours. The 2% dose increased them after 5 and 10 hours. FOS also increased bifidobacteria.
Lactobacilli increase
In lab tests, 1% gum acacia increased Lactobacillus spp. after 5 and 24 hours. The 2% dose did not have the same effect on lactobacilli.
Short-chain fatty acids
In lab tests, gum acacia fermentation increased acetate after 10, 24 and 48 hours, propionate after 48 hours, and butyrate after 24 and 48 hours. FOS also increased these short-chain fatty acids.
Harmful bacteria group
In lab tests, the C. histolyticum group decreased after fermentation of 1% gum acacia for 10 hours compared with baseline levels.
Dose selectivity
In lab tests, the 1% dose of gum acacia showed more selective effects on gut bacteria than the 2% dose. The higher dose had less impact on lactobacilli and C. histolyticum groups.
What the authors conclude
“These results suggest that GA displays potential prebiotic properties.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that gum acacia modulated the gut microbiota similarly to FOS.
- They note that the 1% dose showed additional selective potential.
- They conclude that gum acacia holds the potential to be used as a novel prebiotic source.
How it was done
Gum acacia is thought to have health benefits that may come from prebiotic activity. The authors wanted to test how two doses of gum acacia affect gut bacteria compared with fructooligosaccharide (FOS), a known prebiotic.
They used pH- and temperature-controlled batch cultures with human faeces from three healthy volunteers aged 31 to 35. They tested 1% and 2% doses of gum acacia and FOS over 48 hours, taking samples at 0, 5, 10, 24 and 48 hours.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a lab study using human faeces in batch cultures, not a study in people. It cannot show what happens when people eat gum acacia.
- The batch culture system does not include absorption, colonic secretions or interactions with the gut lining, so it cannot fully mimic the human gut.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Reading, UK
The paper
- Title
- In vitro fermentation of gum acacia - impact on the faecal microbiota
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Alarifi S, Bell A, Walton G (2018). In vitro fermentation of gum acacia - impact on the faecal microbiota. International journal of food sciences and nutrition. doi:10.1080/09637486.2017.1404970Free full textPubMed 29334803DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error