title: Growth of various intestinal bacteria on alternansucrase-derived oligosaccharides.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether alternansucrase (ASR)-derived oligosaccharides can support the in vitro growth of various intestinal bacteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth was assessed from each culture after incubation in a medium containing ASR-derived oligosaccharide as sole carbohydrate source. Most of the Bifidobacterium spp. tested showed growth on all five of the oligosaccharides tested while the Lactobacillus spp., Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, coliforms and pathogenic bacteria displayed no or little growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ASR-derived oligosaccharides were selectively utilized by many of the Bifidobacterium spp. tested but did not support significant growth of the Lactobacillus spp., Bact. thetaiotaomicron, coliforms and pathogenic bacteria tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alternansucrase-derived oligosaccharides are a potential source of new prebiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455, USA. sm-holt@wiu.edu
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Miller-Fosmore
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Côté
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000254:growth & development*; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development; D003470:Culture Media; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; C033837:alternansucrase