title: Selective carbohydrate utilization by lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ability of specific carbohydrates, including commercially available products, to support the growth of representatives of two well-known groups of gut commensals, namely lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-eight bacterial strains, representing 29 human-derived lactobacilli and 39 bifidobacteria (both human- and animal-derived), were tested for their ability to metabolize 10 different carbohydrates. Analysis of growth and metabolic activity was performed using a combination of diagnostic parameters, such as final OD600 , final pH, fermentation end products and growth rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data assembled in this study provide significant complementary and comparative information on the growth-promoting properties of a range of carbohydrates, while also investigating interspecies differences between lactobacilli and/or bifidobacteria with regard to their carbohydrate utilization abilities. Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and lactulose were shown to support the most favourable growth characteristics, whereas relatively poor growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria was observed on inulin, maltodextrin and polydextrose. GOS/inulin (9 : 1) and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS)/inulin mixtures supported mostly similar growth abilities to those obtained for GOS and FOS, respectively. Microbial consumption of GOS, as determined by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection, was evident for both lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results may allow for the rational prediction of lactobacilli and/or bifidobacteria to be used in conjunction with prebiotics, such as GOS, as synbiotics.
authors.affiliation: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Connell Motherway
authors.forename: M H C
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Schoterman
authors.forename: R J Joost
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Neerven
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nauta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Sinderen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005285:Fermentation; D005936:Glucans / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D011134:Polysaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; C008315:maltodextrin; D007444:Inulin; C033375:polydextrose