title: Isomer-specific consumption of galactooligosaccharides by bifidobacterial species.
abstract: Prebiotics are nondigestible substrates that stimulate the growth of beneficial microbes in the human intestine. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are food ingredients that possess prebiotic properties, in particular, promoting the growth of bifidobacteria in situ. However, precise mechanistic details of GOS consumption by bifidobacteria remain poorly understood. Because GOS are mixtures of polymers of different lengths and linkages, there is interest in determining which specific structures provide prebiotic effects to potentially create better supplements. This paper presents a method comprising porous graphitic carbon separation, isotopic labeling, and mass spectrometry analysis for the structure-specific analysis of GOS isomers and their bacterial consumption rate. Using this strategy, the differential bacterial consumption of GOS by the bifidobacteria species Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, and Bifidobacterium adolescentis was determined, indicating that the use of specific GOS isomers in infant formula may provide enrichment of distinct species.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis. One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors: Kyle S
authors: KS
authors: Peacock
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis. One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors: L Renee
authors: LR
authors: Ruhaak
authors: Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.|Foods for Health Institute, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors: Man Ki
authors: MK
authors: Tsui
authors: Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.|Foods for Health Institute, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.|Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Mills
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis. One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.|Foods for Health Institute, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors: Carlito B
authors: CB
authors: Lebrilla
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D007536:Isomerism; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D056692:Prebiotics / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics