Аннотация:The goal of the study was to check the hypothesis that low- and highmethaneproducers will react differently to the administration of non-digestiblecarbohydrates. It was discovered in our previous studies that Wistar rats from thePuschino nursery (SPF status) were low methane producers, whereas conventionalrats from Stolbovaya nursery were high methane producers. Hydrogen and methane breath tests and the taxonomic content of the gut microbiota were evaluated in 25 ratsfrom each nursery. Samples of the exhaled airwere taken from awake rats using noseonlyapparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography. The taxonomic content of thegut microbiota was evaluated in each rat by the 16S rRNA method. Lactulose, GuarGum, and inulin were administered by gavage to each rat in 1-week time intervals.Levels of hydrogen and methane in the samples of exhaled air were measured during8 h after carbohydrate administration. Taxonomic microbiome compositions werequite different between groups. Low methane-producing rats had low alpha and betadiversity, higher abundance of Christensenellaceae and Akkermansia bacteria, lowerabundance of Helicobacteraceae, and absence of Methanobacteriaceae) that showsimilarity to the microbiome of the newborns and children. High methane-producingrats (from Stobovaya nursery) had a much higher diversity of microbiota bacteria, ahigher abundance of hydrogen-consuming microorganisms, like Helicobacteraceaeand Methanobacteriaceae, and close to the microbiota composition in the elderly.The gavage of carbohydrates in low-methane-producing ratswas followed just by theincrease in hydrogen level in exhaled air, whereas the same carbohydrates evoked anincrease inmethane level only.We speculate that the administration of the exogenoushydrogen (hydrogen-rich water) will be more efficient in increasing the antioxidantdefense in the elderly because taking the food fibers is not followed by the increaseof hydrogen level in the blood.