Appropriate digestion and metabolism of complex dietary carbohydrates from plants drives healthy diversity in the gut microbiota. Clostridium methylpentosum ferments the naturally occurring sugar L-rhamnose that is released by microbial breakdown of plant-derived pectin. Rhamnose is fermented to propionate and acetate which are short chain fatty acids that have pivotal regulatory roles in the maintenance of mucosal barrier integrity, gut microbiota balance, post-prandial appetite suppression and normoglycemia. Lower levels of C. methylpentosum were reported for children with autism and pervasive developmental disorder compared to neurotypicals controls. Consumption of probiotic yogurt LKM512 containing Bifidobacterium animalis (subspecies lactis LKM512) increased the levels of C. methylpentosum.
Clostridium methylpentosum
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