| Prebiotics | Are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon. The colonic bacteria to be stimulated are Bifidobacterium and/or Lactobacilli. The non-digestible character of Prebiotics is a feature shared with dietary fibre but their physiological functions are often different. Thus, the Prebiotics are very selective in their growth stimulation and at the same time they suppress many pathogenic bacteria present in the microbiota because they can only use the Prebiotic ingredient for growth to a limited extent or not at all. Thus, the Prebiotic principle is based on selective stimulation of those colonic microorganisms able to break down (hydrolyse) the Prebiotics to carbohydrate monomers (simple carbohydrates) and use those for growth. Two principal types commonly used are: 1. Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) that bind potentially harmful bacteria in the gut and allow beneficial bugs to dominate; also assists immune function. 2. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) that deliver fructans into the fore gut to #39;feed#39; the acid producing bacteria (the families of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium). Other useful prebiotics include: Galactooligosaccharides, Xylitol (Xyllooligosaccharides), Manitol, Sorbitol, Arabinogalatose, etc. |
Glos
