title: In vitro fermentation of oat β-glucan and hydrolysates by fecal microbiota and selected probiotic strains.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emerging evidence suggested that the prebiotic ability of β-glucan was intimately related to its molecular weight (Mw). However, the effect of oat β-glucan with differing Mwon gut homeostasis was inconsistent. Importantly, knowledge of the fermentation properties of oat β-glucan fractions was still limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the prebiotic potential of raw and hydrolyzed oat β-glucan during in vitro fermentation by fecal microbiota and selected probiotic strains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results obtained showed that both oat β-glucan (OG) and hydrolysates (OGH) comparably promoted the growth of fecal Lactobacillus counts (P < 0.05). Importantly, OGH revealed greater fermentability compared to OG as denoted by lower pH value and higher short-chain fatty acid concentration (P < 0.05). Moreover, OGH was found to be more favorable to provide growth substrates for Lactobacillus helveticus R389 (LR389), Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 (LGG) and Bifidobacterium longum BB536 (BB536) than OG, and was preferentially utilized by LR389, LGG and BB536 as the sole carbon source.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicate that oat β-glucan hydrolysates could serve as a more promising material for developing novel symbiotic foods. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: College of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China.|Henan Collaborative Innovation Center for Food Production and Safety, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: College of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China.|Henan Collaborative Innovation Center for Food Production and Safety, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.
authors.forename: Liang-Er
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: College of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China.|Henan Collaborative Innovation Center for Food Production and Safety, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Rui-Ling
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018554:Avena / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005285:Fermentation; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D019936:Probiotics / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D047071:beta-Glucans
keywords: in vitro fermentation; molecular weight; oat β-glucan hydrolysates; prebiotocs; probiotics