title: Prebiotic effects of a novel combination of galactooligosaccharides and maltodextrins.
abstract: Prebiotics are used for stimulating the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the gut. However, it is very difficult to find a suitable prebiotic mixture that exclusively supports the growth of beneficial microbes such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. We tested the effects of a prebiotic mixture in vitro by incubating it with fecal samples and in vivo by administration of the prebiotic supplement to healthy adult volunteers, followed by analysis of their fecal microbiota. The effect of the oligosaccharides on bacterial metabolism was studied by analyzing short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in vitro and the SCFA pattern for the stool samples of volunteers. In the in vitro test, a higher proportion of bifidobacteria (25.77%) was seen in the total bacterial population after cultivation on a prebiotic mixture than on the control medium (7.94%). The gram-negative anaerobe count significantly decreased from 8.70 to 6.40 log CFU/g (from 35.21% to 0.60%) and the Escherichia coli count decreased from 7.41 to 6.27 log CFU/g (from 1.78% to 0.44%). Administration of a prebiotic mixture in vivo (9 g of galactooligosaccharides [GOS]+1 g of maltodextrins; daily for 5 days) significantly increased the fecal bifidobacterial count from 9.45 to 9.83 log CFU/g (from 40.80% to 53.85% of total bacteria) and reduced the E. coli count from 7.23 to 6.28 log CFU/g (from 55.35% to 45.06% of total bacteria). The mixture comprising GOS and maltodextrins thus exhibited bifidogenic properties, promoting the performance of bifidobacteria by boosting their growth and inhibiting the growth of undesirable bacteria.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Sarka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Musilova
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vojtech
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rada
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.|2Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marounek
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Paediatrics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nevoral
authors.affiliation: 2Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dušková
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bunesova
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlkova
authors.affiliation: 4Humana GmbH, Herford, Germany.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zelenka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000494:pharmacology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056692:Prebiotics
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D011134:Polysaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; C008315:maltodextrin; D005690:Galactose
keywords: bifidobacteria; intestinal microbiota; oligosaccharides; prebiotics