title: Xylo-oligosaccharides and lactitol promote the growth of Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus species in pure cultures.
abstract: The current screening study aimed at identifying promising prebiotic and synbiotic candidates. The fermentation of xylo-oligosaccharides, xylan, galacto-oligosaccharide, fructo-oligosaccharide, polydextrose, lactitol, gentiobiose and pullulan was investigated in vitro. The ability of these established and potential prebiotic candidates to function as a sole carbon source for probiotic (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus), intestinal and potential pathogenic microbes (Eubacterium, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus) was assessed in pure cultures. Xylo-oligosaccharides were fermented with high specificity by the tested Bifidobacterium lactis strains and lactitol by lactobacilli, whereas galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and gentiobiose were utilised by a larger group of microbes. Xylan, polydextrose and pullulan were utilised to a limited extent by only a few of the tested microbes. The results of this screening study indicate that xylo-oligosaccharides and lactitol support the growth of a limited number of beneficial microbes in pure cultures. Such a high degree of specificity has not been previously reported for established prebiotics. Based on these results, the most promising prebiotics and synbiotic combinations can be selected for further testing.
authors.affiliation: Danisco Finland, Health and Nutrition, Kantvik, Finland. henna.makelainen@danisco.com
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mäkeläinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stowell
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rautonen
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ouwehand
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D056692:Prebiotics / Q000382:microbiology*; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism*; D058616:Synbiotics / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; C014635:lactitol