• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.127-127
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• 2018

Probiotics are microorganisms that have beneficial effects on the health of the host. The health promoting effect by probiotics influences suppressing harmful bacteria, prevention of constipation, blood cholesterol reduction and regulation of blood pressure. Prebiotics are used to promote the growth or activity of microorganisms. Synbiotics, which are a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics, synergize in the intestines by complementing each other. Synbiotics not only improves the viability of the probiotics while passing through the gastrointestinal tract, maintain intestinal homeostasis, but also regulate balance of harmful and useful bacterial growth. Glycine max Merr (GMM) has been widely used in Asian countries to treat cancer, obesity, oxidative stress and imbalanced immune diseases. In addition, it has been reported that dietary fiber-rich grains promote bowel movements and prevent constipation. In this study, we investigated the viability of LactobacillIus buchneri (L.buchneri) strains, known as lactic acid bacteria under conditions of gastric fluid and intestinal fluid to determine the suitability of L.buchneri as probiotics. The adhesion ability of L.buchneri to caco-2 cells was also confirmed. The present studies showed that GMM extract promoted the growth and activity of L.buchneri strains as prebiotics. Also, this results suggested that the mixture of L.buchneri and GMM extract can helps maintain intestinal health and healthy body as synbiotics and health functional food material.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.465-475
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• 2016

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) has increased continuously in worldwide, but no cure have been discovered. The etiology of IBD may include various factors such as genetics, epigenetic, environment as well as host immune system. Among the environmental factors of IBD, diet heavily influences gut health, especially non-digestible dietary fiber can have a great impact on selective growth of beneficial gut microbiota called probiotics. Seaweeds have been consumed in Asia countries and are a rich source for dietary fiber. Accumulated data have suggested the possibility of utilizing seaweed derived oligosaccharides as prebiotics to prevent IBD and its recurrence. In this review, seaweed derived oligosaccharides such as fucoidan and laminarin regarding gut health and potential therapeutic tools for IBD will be discussed based on studies conducted in vitro and in vivo models.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.78-88
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• 2015

Purpose: The objective of this study is to review researches regarding factors that potentially affect adolescent calcium (Ca) metabolism, and to suggest a potential modeling approach for optimizing gastrointestinal Ca absorption and peak bone mass. Background: Optimal gastrointestinal Ca absorption is a key to maximizing peak bone mass in adolescents. Urine Ca excretion in adolescents rises only after bone accretion is saturated, indicating that higher intestinal Ca absorption and bone retention is necessary to ensure maximum bone accretion. Hence, maximizing peak bone mass is possible by controlling the factors influencing gastrointestinal Ca absorption and bone accretion. However, a mechanism that explains the unique adolescent Ca metabolism has not yet been elucidated. Review: Dietary factors that enhance gastrointestinal Ca absorption may increase the available Ca pool usable for bone accretion, and a specific hormone may direct optimal Ca utilization to maximize peak bone mass. IGF-1 is an endocrine hormone whose levels peak during adolescence and increase fractional Ca absorption and bone Ca accretion. Prebiotics, generally obtained from dietary sources, have been reported to exert a beneficial effect on Ca absorption via microbiota activity. We selected and reviewed three candidates that could be used to propose a comprehensive Ca metabolic model for optimal Ca absorption and peak bone mass in adolescents. Modeling: Modeling has been used to investigate Ca metabolism and its regulators. Herein, we reviewed previous Ca modeling studies. Based on this review, we proposed a method for developing a comprehensive model that includes regulatory effectors of IGF-1 and prebiotics.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.388-396
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• 2020

Purpose: Impaired intestinal mucosal integrity may affect the gastrointestinal function, especially in relation to nutrition, absorption, and barrier function. The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of impaired intestinal mucosal integrity in presumed healthy children aged 1-3 years and assess the effects of zinc, glutamine, fiber, and prebiotic supplementation in them. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 200 children aged 1-3 years in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. A randomized double-blind parallel group method clinical trial was then performed to assess the effects of zinc, glutamine, fiber, and prebiotic supplementation. Results: Elevated calprotectin was found in 91/200 subjects (45.5%) at the onset of the study. After 10 months, 144 subjects completed the study: 72 subjects received the trial formula, whereas the other 72 received the standard formula. A transitory decrease in fecal calprotectin (FC) was observed after 6 months in the subgroup with normal FC levels, who were fed the test formula (p=0.012). Conclusion: The prevalence of impaired intestinal mucosal integrity in this group of Indonesian children aged 1-3 years was high. Supplementation with zinc, glutamine, fiber, and prebiotics during 6 months reduced FC only in those who had low levels at baseline but not in those with impaired integrity.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.249-265
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• 2023

Purpose: Infant regurgitation is associated with other functional gastrointestinal disorders and signs and symptoms that have a major impact on the quality of life of infants and their families. This study evaluated the safety, tolerance, and real-world effectiveness of an anti-regurgitation formula containing locust bean gum (LBG), prebiotics, and postbiotics to alleviate digestive symptoms beyond regurgitation. Methods: This 3-month study involved infants with regurgitation requiring the prescription of an anti-regurgitation formula according to usual clinical practice. Outcomes included evaluation of the evolution of stool consistency and frequency; occurrence of colic, constipation, and diarrhea; and assessment of regurgitation severity. Infant crying, parental assessment of infant well-being, and parental satisfaction with the stool consistency were also evaluated. Results: In total, 190 infants (average age: 1.9±1.1 months) were included. After three months, stool frequency and consistency remained within the normal physiological range, with 82.7% of infants passing one or two stools per day and 90.4% passing loose or formed stools. There was no significant increase in the number of infants with diarrhea, whereas a decrease was observed in the number of infants with constipation after 1 month (p=0.001) and with colic after both 1 and 3 months (p<0.001). Regurgitation severity and crying decreased and parental satisfaction with stool consistency, formula acceptability, infant well-being, and sleep quality increased. Monitoring of adverse events did not reveal any safety concerns. Conclusion: Formulas containing LBG, prebiotics, and postbiotics were well tolerated and provided an effective strategy for managing infant regurgitation and gastrointestinal discomfort.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.390-405
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• 2020

Purpose: The effect of prebiotics intake after administration of a synbiotics mixture (a probiotic, Bifidobacterium longum, and a prebiotic, xylooligosaccharide containing sugar [XOS]) on human intestinal microflora and defecation characteristics was investigated in a randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-five healthy young volunteers (11 males and 14 females) were randomly assigned to 2 groups (BL2XO2 and BL2XO6). The synbiotics mixture was orally administered to both groups for 2 weeks, and the prebiotics were subsequently administered to the BL2XO6 group for 4 additional weeks. The daily dose of the synbiotics mixture comprised 10¹⁰ colony-forming unit of Bifidobacterium longum and 10 g of XOS, and during the prebiotics period, the daily dose of prebiotics comprised only 10 g of XOS. The fecal pH, microflora, and defecation characteristics were analyzed at baseline and at weeks 1, 2, 4, and 6. Results: The counts of B. longum and Bifidobacterium spp. in the BL2XO6 group exhibited a steady, increasing trend during the synbiotics and prebiotics periods, whereas those of the BL2XO2 group exhibited considerable variation in each week of the study period. Although there was no significant difference, the counts of fecal Bifidobacterium in the BL2XO6 group tended to be higher than those of the BL2XO2 group at week 6. The growth of Lactobacillus spp. exhibited a time-dependent variation, peaking at week 6 in both groups. Low counts of Clostridium spp. were observed after treatment with the synbiotics and prebiotics in the BL2XO6 group (p < 0.05) throughout the study, whereas the inhibitory effect on Clostridium spp. was maintained only during the synbiotics period in the BL2XO2 group. The defecation characteristics did not differ between the two groups. Conclusion: Administration of XOS after a synbiotics mixture containing B. longum and XOS can exert a prebiotic effect in healthy young volunteers by stimulating Bifidobacteriun spp. growth and inhibiting growth of Clostridium spp.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2015

Probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic substances as well as microorganisms were added to infant formula in an attempt to influence the intestinal microflora with an aim to stimulate the growth of lactic acid bacteria, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Over the last 10 years, new synbiotic infant formulas containing probiotics and prebiotics have been proposed in order to simulate the effect of breast-feeding on the intestinal microflora. Owing to their synergistic effect, the new synbiotics are expected to be more helpful than using probiotics and prebiotics individually. Maintenance of the viability of the probiotics during food processing and the passage through the gastrointestinal tract should be the most important consideration, since a sufficient number of bacteria ($10^8cfu/g$) should reach the intended location to have a positive effect on the host. Storage conditions and the processing technology used for the manufacture of products such as infant formula adversely affect the viability of the probiotics. When an appropriate and cost-effective microencapsulation methodology using the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status and substances with high biological value are developed, the quality of infant formulas would improve. The effect of probiotics may be called a double-effect, where one is an immunomodulatory effect, induced by live probiotics that advantageously alter the gastrointestinal microflora, and the other comprises anti-inflammatory responses elicited by dead cells. At present, a new terminology is required to define the dead microorganisms or crude microbial fractions that positively affect health. The term "paraprobiotics" (or ghost probiotics) has been proposed to define dead microbial cells (not damaged or broken) or crude cell extracts (i.e., cell extracts with complex chemical composition) that are beneficial to humans and animals when a sufficient amount is orally or topically administered. The fecal microflora of bottle-fed infants is altered when the milk-based infant formula is supplemented with probiotics or prebiotics. Thus, by increasing the proportion of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, prebiotics modify the fecal microbial composition and accordingly regulate the activity of the immune system. Therefore, considerable attention has been focused on the improvement of infant formula quality such that its beneficial effects are comparable to those of human milk, using prebiotics such as inulin and oligosaccharides and potential specific probiotics such as bifidobacteria, which selectively stimulate the proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the microflora and the indigenous intestinal metabolic activity of the microflora.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1343-1354
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• 2020

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a skin disorder that causes chronic itch. We investigated the inhibitory effects of a mixture of prebiotic short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides and long-chain fructooligosaccharides (scGOS/lcFOS), inulin, or β-glucan on AD development in 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB)-treated NC/Nga mice. Mice were randomly assigned to six groups: untreated mice, AD control, positive control (DNCB-treated NC/Nga mice fed a dietary supplement of Zyrtec), and DNCB-treated NC/Nga mice fed a dietary supplement of prebiotics such as scGOS/lcFOS (T1), inulin (T2), or β-glucan (T3). The prebiotic treatment groups (T1, T2, and T3) showed suppression of AD symptoms, Th2 cell differentiation, and AD-like skin lesions induced by DNCB. In addition, prebiotic treatment also reduced the number of microorganisms such as Firmicutes, which is associated with AD symptoms, and increased the levels of Bacteroidetes and Ruminococcaceae, which are associated with alleviation of AD symptoms. Our findings demonstrate the inhibitory effects of prebiotics on AD development by improving the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance and beneficial symbiotic microorganisms in in vitro and in vivo models.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.54-66
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• 2014

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.445-457
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• 2020

Prebiotics are defined as "Nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and activity of bacteria in the intestine" and as defined improve host health. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of bifidobacteria (Bifidobacterium lactis BB12 and Bifidobacterium longum BB536) growth enhancer (BE0623) supplement as a prebiotic. The addition of BE0623, a growth promoting material for bifidobacteria, significantly increased bifidobacteria viable cells counts in fermented milk by about 45 to 75 times compared to the non-added control group. In addition, microscopic observation showed a significant effect on proliferation of bifidobacteria in fermented milk with added BE0623. The viable cell counts in bifidobacteria also increased roughly 102-fold compared to the control group (non-added BE0623) and was higher than that of commercial growth promoters. Each fraction obtained though the purification of BE0623 influenced the increase of bifidobacteria growth. Culturing bifidobacteria with a combination of fractions of BE0623 had a synergistic effect compared to culturing bifidobacteria with each fraction individually. When any of the fractions were not added, the effect of the growth enhancer on bifidobacteria was reduced. These results indicate that all fractions contain substances that promote the growth of bifidobacteria. Therefore, BE0623 is considered to be available as a growth promoting material for bifidobacterium.