Barley Products of Different Fiber Composition Selectively Change Microbiota Composition in Rats.

This study demonstrates that there is a potential to stimulate butyrate- and propionate-producing bacteria in the cecum of rats with malt products of specific fiber properties. Moreover, BSG, a by product from beer production, added to malt can possibly be used to further modulate the microbiota composition, toward a higher butyric acid formation. A complex mixture of fiber as in the malts is of greater importance for microbiota diversity than purer fiber extracts.