Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T03:24:44.857Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prebiotic effects of inulin and oligofructose

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

S. Kolida ,
K. Tuohy  and
G. R. Gibson
S. Kolida*
Affiliation:
Food Microbial Sciences Unit, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AP, UK
K. Tuohy
Affiliation:
Food Microbial Sciences Unit, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AP, UK
G. R. Gibson
Affiliation:
Food Microbial Sciences Unit, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AP, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr S. Kolida, fax +44 (0)1189 357222, email afr99sk@reading.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that target certain components within the microbiota of the human large intestine. Efficient prebiotics need to have a specific fermentation therein and thereby have the ability to alter the faecal microflora composition towards a more ‘beneficial’ community structure. This should occur by the stimulation of benign or potentially health promoting genera but not the harmful groups. Because of their positive attributes bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are the most frequent target organisms. Both inulin and oligofructose have been demonstrated to be effective prebiotics. This has been shown through both in vitro and in vivo assessments in different laboratories. Because of their recognised prebiotic properties, principally the selective stimulation of colonic bifidobacteria, both inulin and oligofructose are increasingly used in new food product developments. Examples include drinks, yoghurts, biscuits and table spreads. Because of the recognised inhibitory effects that bifidobacteria can exert against gut pathogens, one of the most important aspects of prebiotic ingestion is fortification of the gut flora to resist acute infections.

Keywords

Human gut microfloraPrebioticsInulin
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 87 , Issue S2 , May 2002 , pp. S193 - S197
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2002

References

Blaut, M, Criggs, C, Collins, MD, Welling, GW, Doré, J, Van Loo, J & de Vos, W (2002) Molecular biological methods for studying the gut microbiota: the EU human gut flora project. British Journal of Nutrition 87, S203–S211, this issue.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bouhnik, Y, Flourie, B, Andrieux, C, Bisetti, N, Briet, F & Rambaud, JC (1996) Effects of Bifidobacterium sp fermented milk ingested with or without inulin on colonic bacteria and enzymatic activities in healthy humans. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, 269–273.Google ScholarPubMed
Bouhnik, Y, Vahedi, K, Achour, L, Attar, A, Salfati, J, Pochart, P, Marteau, P, Flourie, B, Bornet, F & Rambaud, JC (1999) Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharide administration dose dependently increases fecal bifidobacteria in healthy humans. Journal of Nutrition 129, 113–116.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buddington, RK, Williams, CH, Chen, SC & Witherly, SA (1996) Dietary supplement of neosugar alters the faecal flora and decreases the activities of some reductive enzymes in human subjects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63, 709–716.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coussement, PAA (1999) Inulin and oligofructose: Safe intakes and legal status. Journal of Nutrition 129, S1412–S1417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crittenden, RG & Playne, MJ (1996) Production, properties and applications of food-grade oligosaccharides. Trends in Food Science and Technology 7, 353–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Den Hond, E, Geypens, B & Ghoos, Y (2000) Effect if high performance chicory inulin on constipation. Nutrition Research 20, 731–736.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djouzi, Z & Andrieux, C (1997) Compared effects of three oligosaccharides on metabolism of intestinal microflora in rats inoculated with a human faecal flora. British Journal of Nutrition 78, 313–324.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, GR (1998) Dietary modulation of the human gut microflora using prebiotics. British Journal of Nutrition 80, S209–S212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, GR & Roberfroid, MB (1995) Dietary modulation of the human colonic microflora: introducing the concept of prebiotics. Journal of Nutrition 125, 1401–1412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, GR & Wang, X (1994) Enrichment of bifidobacteria from human gut contents by oligofructose using continuous culture. FEMS Microbiology Letters 118, 121–128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, GR, Berry Ottaway, P & Rastall, RA (2000) Prebiotics: New Developments in Functional Foods. Oxford: Chandos Publishing Limited.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, GR, Beatty, ER, Wang, X & Cummings, JH (1995) Selective stimulation of bifidobacteria in the human colon by oligofructose and inulin. Gastroenterology 108, 975–982.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hopkins, MJ, Cummings, JH & Macfarlane, GT (1998) Inter-species differences in maximum specific growth rates and cell yields of bifidobacteria cultured on oligosaccharides and other simple carbohydrate sources. Journal of Applied Microbiology 85, 381–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hunter, JO, Tuffnel, Q & Lee, AJ (1993) Controlled trial of oligofructose management of irritable bowel syndrome. Journal of Nutrition 129, 1451–1453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, H & Hutkins, RW (2000) Fermentation of fructooligosaccharides by lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66, 2682–2684.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karppinen, S, Liukkonen, K, Aura, AM, Forsell, P & Poutanen, K (2000) In vitro fermentation of polysacharides of rye, wheat and oat brans and inulin by human faecal bacteria. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 80, 1469–1476.3.0.CO;2-A>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kleessen, B, Sykura, B, Zunft, HJ & Blaut, M (1997) Effects of inulin and lactose on faecal microflora, microbial activity and bowel habit in elderly constipated persons. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 65, 1397–1402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kruse, HP, Kleessen, B & Blaut, M (1999) Effects of inulin on faecal bifidobacteria in human subjects. British Journal of Nutrition 82, 375–382.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Le Blay, G, Michael, C, Blottiere, HM & Cherbut, C (1999) Prolonged intake of fructo-oligosaccharides induces a short–term elevation of lactic acid producing bacteria and a persistent increase in cecal butyrate in rats. Journal of Nutrition 129, 2231–2235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberfroid, MB (2002) Functional foods: concepts and application to inulin and oligofructose. British Journal of Nutrition 87, S139–S143, this issue.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sghir, A, Chow, JM & Mackie, RI (1998) Continuous culture selection of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli from human faecal samples using fructooligosaccharide as selective substrate. Journal of Applied Microbiology 85, 769–777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tannock, G (2002) Methodologies for quantification of faecal bacteria: application to prebiotic effects. British Journal of Nutrition 87, S199–S201, this issue.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuohy, KM, Kolida, S, Lustenberger, A & Gibson, GR (2001) The prebiotic effects of biscuits containing partially hydrolyzed guar gum and fructooligosaccharides – a human volunteer study. British Journal of Nutrition 86, 341–348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Videla, S (1999) Deranged luminal pH homeostasis in experimental colitis can be restored by a prebiotic. Gastroenterology 116, A942.Google Scholar
Videla, S, Vilaseca, J, Garcia-Lafuente, A, Antolin, M, Crespo, E, Guarner, F & Malagelada, JR (1998) Dietary inulin prevents distal colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Gastroenterology 114, A1110.Google Scholar
Wang, X & Gibson, GR (1993) Effects of the in vivo fermentation of oligofructose and inulin by bacteria growing in the human large intestine. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 75, 373–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, CH, Witherly, SA & Buddington, RK (1994) Influence of dietary Neosugar on selected bacteria groups of the human fecal microbiota. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 7, 91–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, J (1998) European market developments in prebiotic-and probiotic-containing foodstuffs. British Journal of Nutrition 80, S231–S233.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed