This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the
intestinal Lactobacillus species and diet of elderly subjects in
a longevity area in Southern China. Healthy elderly subjects
ranging from 80 to 99 years old were respectively selected
from the regions of Bama and Nanning, Guangxi, China.
The nested polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient
gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technology was used
to analyze the intestinal Lactobacillus community structure.
Results
showed that Weissella confusa, L. mucosae, L. crispatus,
L. salivarius, and L. delbrueckii were the representative
Lactobacillus of elderly subjects. Among them, L. crispatus
and L. delbrueckii were the dominant Lactobacillus of
all species. In comparison to Nanning elderly subjects, the
detection frequencies of W. confusa and L. salivarius were
significantly increased in Bama elderly subjects (P < 0.01),
whereas L. mucosae was significantly decreased (P < 0.01).
Interestingly, it was also found that there were 4 kinds of
representative Lactobacillus, which were significantly correlated
with dietary fiber. W. confusa (P < 0.01) and L. salivarius
(P < 0.05) were significantly positively correlated with
the intake of dietary fiber, while L. mucosae (P < 0.01) and
L. crispatus (P < 0.05) were significantly negatively correlated
with the intake of dietary fiber, respectively. Results confirmed
that different diets had obvious effects on the intestinal Lactobacillus
community structure of elderly subjects in Southern
China, which may provide a certain theoretical basis for the
elderly’s healthy food strategic design and probiotics product
development.