Using an ADM-Based Model to Understand the Relationship between Host Physiology, Diet and Intestinal Microflora

The human colon is an anaerobic environment densely populated with bacterial species creating an ecosystem imperative to physiological function with regards to metabolism of non-digestable residues. Using a mathematical representation of carbohydrate degradation as an experimental platform, the effect in variability of system flow rate and dietary fiber consumption to a measure of ecological diversity in the colon was studied. Results demonstrate a low variance in bacterial diversity, and strong linear relationships between variables. These relationships can provide good approximations of the intestinal microflora behaviour with respect to flow rate and fiber consumption in a simple computation despite the underlying mechanisms being described in a non-linear, highly complex system.