Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the specific growth stimulation of certain desired intestinal bacteria by a novel galacto-oligosaccharide mixture, which was produced with a β-galactosidase from a potential probiotic Lactobacillus isolate that contained mainly oligosaccharides of β-1,3 and β-1,6 glycosidic linkages (termed Lb-GOS) using single-strain fermentations. The composition of this Lb-GOS mixture was 33.5% disaccharides, 60.5% trisaccharides, 4.8% tetrasaccharides, and 1.0% pentasaccharides with a negligible amount of monosaccharides, lactose, and lactobionic acid (0.3%). Eight Lactobacillus spp. strains and three Bifidobacterium spp. strains were used in single-strain fermentations to determine the fermentation activity scores of this Lb-GOS preparation compared to two commercially available prebiotic mixtures, 4′GOS-P and Vivinal GOS (V-GOS). The highest scores were obtained when L. reuteri Lb46 and the two Bifidobacterium strains, B. animalis subsp. lactis Bif1 and Bif3, were grown on these galacto-oligosaccharide mixtures. In addition, the Lb-GOS mixture was found to have higher fermentation activity scores; hence, it stimulated the growth of these probiotic strains more than 4′GOS-P and V-GOS, which may be attributed to the different glycosidic linkage types that are found in the Lb-GOS mixture compared to the other two commercial preparations. These findings suggested that the Lb-GOS mixture that is described in this work should be of interest for the formulations of new carbohydrate-based functional food ingredients.
Highlights
The human colonic microbiota is composed of more than 1000 different species [1]
Based on the criteria of (i) resistance to mammalian digestive enzymes, (ii) the selective fermentation by intestinal microflora, and (iii) the stimulation of growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria associated with health and well-being, only inulin/FOS, GOS, and lactulose are fulfilling these requirements for prebiotics as documented in several studies, promise exists for several other dietary oligosaccharides [5,6,11]
Compared to the commercial GOS mixtures, the Lb-GOS product produced by a lactobacillal β-galactosidase differs
Summary
The human colonic microbiota is composed of more than 1000 different species [1]. Most of these species are bacteria, some of which have been related to the health and well-being of the host [2]. According to a recent definition of the prebiotic concept, a prebiotic is “a non-digestible compound that, through its metabolization by microorganisms in the gut, modulates the composition and/or activity of the gut microbiota, conferring a beneficial physiological effect on the host” [7]. Based on the criteria of (i) resistance to mammalian digestive enzymes, (ii) the selective fermentation by intestinal microflora, and (iii) the stimulation of growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria associated with health and well-being, only inulin/FOS, GOS, and lactulose are fulfilling these requirements for prebiotics as documented in several studies, promise exists for several other dietary oligosaccharides [5,6,11]
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