11 - Health-functional carbohydrates: properties and enzymatic manufacture

Abstract

This chapter presents that for the past 40 years, there has been an increased understanding of the sources, processing, uses, and physiological effects of dietary fiber. However, it is only since about the mid-1990s that certain dietary fibers have been awarded functional food status and have been regarded as health promoting ingredients in staple foods as well as in foods designed for the treatment of particular physiological or medical conditions. When dietary fiber is added to food, it should provide a health benefit without sacrificing the food's qualities. The chapter discusses the potential for using enzyme technology to realize and extend the health benefits of dietary fiber. Developments in enzyme technology to isolate, modify, and refine carbohydrate products enables to design enhanced forms of functional carbohydrates to increase their potential health benefits. Dietary fiber and, increasingly, prebiotics are very important for human well-being. Advances in molecular methodologies based on 16S rRNA to analyze changes in the microflora can allow for an accurate evaluation of the effect of dietary intervention studies which, combined with short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) data, can give a more complete picture on the efficacy of fiber intake.