The oral cavity contains a large community of microorganisms known as the oral microbiota. This oral microbiota can be modulated by the consumption of fermented food (FF) in rat but the impact of FF consumption on the microbiota (oral and faecal) of animals with different taste sensitivities has not been explored. Then, the aim of the present work is to investigate whether there are differences in the compositions of oral and faecal microbiota among rats with different taste sensitivities and whether a diet rich in FF modulates these microbiota differently. The results show that taste sensitivity had little effect on the faecal microbiota and no effect on the oral microbiota regardless of the diet. However, the oral and faecal detection of some FF bacteria differed depending on taste sensitivity. This work provides a new perspective on the modulation of the microbiota by functional fermented foods in relation to taste. • Faecal microbiota slightly differs in rats with different taste sensitivity. • Oral microbiota does not differ in rats with different taste sensitivity. • Some Lactic Acid Bacteria present in fermented food are detected differently in oral cavity or in faeces depending of the species and of rats' taste sensitivity.
Ibarlucea-Jerez et al. (2026) studied this question.