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World J Crit Care Med. Mar 9, 2025; 14(1): 98241
Published online Mar 9, 2025. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v14.i1.98241
Effect of dietary fibre on the gastrointestinal microbiota during critical illness: A scoping review
Angajendra N Ghosh, Calum J Walsh, Matthew J Maiden, Tim P Stinear, Adam M Deane
Angajendra N Ghosh, Department of Intensive Care, The Northern Hospital, Epping 3076, Victoria, Australia
Calum J Walsh, Tim P Stinear, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne 3052, Victoria, Australia
Matthew J Maiden, Department of Intensive Care, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3050, Victoria, Australia
Adam M Deane, Department of Intensive Care Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville 3050, Victoria, Australia
Author contributions: Ghosh AN, Deane AM designed the review; Ghosh AN was the primary author; Maiden MJ, Walsh CJ, Stiner TP and Deane AM revised the manuscript and provided editorial comments.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There is no conflict of interest associated with any of the senior author or other coauthors contributed their efforts in this manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Angajendra N Ghosh, MBBS, Doctor, Researcher, Senior Lecturer, Department of Intensive Care, The Northern Hospital, 185 Cooper Street, Epping 3076, Victoria, Australia. angaj.ghosh@nh.org.au
Received: June 21, 2024
Revised: September 27, 2024
Accepted: October 28, 2024
Published online: March 9, 2025
Processing time: 173 Days and 5.3 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: This review explores the influence of dietary fibre on the gastrointestinal microbiota, emphasizing its role in both health and critical illness. Dietary fibres promote the production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids that enhance health through multiple immunological and anti-inflammatory effects. While fibres like inulin and arabinoxylan oligosaccharides positively affect the microbiota in healthy individuals, their impact on critically ill patients remains uncertain. Limited studies suggest potential benefits but highlight the need for further research in critically ill populations.