• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2020

The latest definition of a prebiotic is "a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit"; it now includes non-food elements and is applicable to extra-intestinal tissues. Prebiotics are recognized as a promising tool in the promotion of general health and in the prevention and treatment of numerous juvenile diseases. Prebiotics are considered an immunoactive agent, with the potential for long-lasting effects extending past active administration of the prebiotic. Because of its extremely low risk of serious adverse effects, ease of administration, and strong potential for influencing the composition and function of the microbiota in the gut and beyond, the beneficial clinical applications of prebiotics are expanding. Prebiotics are the third largest component of human breast milk. Preparations including galactooligosaccharides (GOS), fructooligosaccharides (FOS), 2'-fucosyllactose, lacto-N-neo-tetraose are examples of commonly used and studied products for supplementation in baby formula. In particular, the GOS/FOS combination is the most studied. Maintaining a healthy microbiome is essential to promote homeostasis of the gut and other organs. With more than 1,000 different microbial species in the gut, it is likely more feasible to modify the gut microbiota through the use of certain prebiotic mixtures rather than supplementing with a particular probiotic strain. In this review, we discuss the latest clinical evidence regarding prebiotics and its role in gut immunity, allergy, infections, inflammation, and functional gastrointestinal disorders.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 2015

Background: Gut microflora play a crucial role in the biotransformation of ginsenosides to compound K (CK), which may affect the pharmacological effects of ginseng. Prebiotics, such as NUTRIOSE, could enhance the formation and consequent absorption of CK through the modulation of gut microbial metabolic activities. In this study, the effect of a prebiotic fiber (NUTRIOSE) on the pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside CK, a bioactive metabolite of ginsenosides, and its mechanism of action were investigated. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given control or NUTRIOSE-containing diets (control diet + NUTRIOSE) for 2 wk, and ginseng extract or vehicle was then orally administered. Blood samples were collected to investigate the pharmacokinetics of CK using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Fecal activities that metabolize ginsenoside Rb1 to CK were assayed with fecal specimens or bacteria cultures. Results: When ginseng extract was orally administered to rats fed with 2.5%, 5%, or 10% NUTRIOSE containing diets, the maximum plasma concentration ($C_{max}$) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve values of CK significantly increased in a NUTRIOSE content-dependent manner. NUTRIOSE intake increased glycosidase activity and CK formation in rat intestinal contents. The CK-forming activities of intestinal microbiota cultured in vitro were significantly induced by NUTRIOSE. Conclusion: These results show that prebiotic diets, such as NUTRIOSE, may promote the metabolic conversion of ginsenosides to CK and the subsequent absorption of CK in the gastrointestinal tract and may potentiate the pharmacological effects of ginseng.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.203-207
• /
• 2014

Background: There is limited understanding of the effect of dietary components on the absorption of ginsenosides and their metabolites into the blood. Methods: This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of the ginseng extract and its main constituent ginsenoside Rb1 in rats with or without pretreatment with a prebiotic fiber, NUTRIOSE, by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. When ginsenoside Rb1 was incubated with rat feces, its main metabolite was ginsenoside Rd. Results: When the intestinal microbiota of rat feces were cultured in vitro, their ginsenoside Rd-forming activities were significantly induced by NUTRIOSE. When ginsenoside Rb1 was orally administered to rats, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma drug concentratione-time curve (AUC) for the main metabolite, ginsenoside Rd, were $72.4{\pm}31.6ng/mL$ and $663.9{\pm}285.3{\mu}g{\cdot}h/mL$, respectively. When the ginseng extract (2,000 mg/kg) was orally administered, Cmax and AUC for ginsenoside Rd were $906.5{\pm}330.2ng/mL$ and $11,377.3{\pm}4,470.2{\mu}g{\cdot}h/mL$, respectively. When ginseng extract was orally administered to rats fed NUTRIOSE containing diets (2.5%, 5%, or 10%), Cmax and AUC were increased in the NUTRIOSE receiving groups in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These findings reveal that intestinal microflora promote metabolic conversion of ginsenoside Rb1 and ginseng extract to ginsenoside Rd and promote its absorption into the blood in rats. Its conversion may be induced by prebiotic diets such as NUTRIOSE.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.30 no.11
• /
• pp.2535-2541
• /
• 2009

Prebiotic isomaltooligosaccharide preparations contain $\alpha$-D-glucooligosaccharides comprising isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOs) and non-prebiotic maltooligosaccharides (MOs). They are both glucose oligosaccharides characterized by their degree of polymerization (DP) value (from 2 to $\sim$10), linkages types and positions (IMOs: $\alpha$-(1$\rightarrow$2, 3, 6 and in a lower proportion internal 1$\rightarrow$4) linkages, MOs: α-(1$\rightarrow$4) linkages). Their structure is the key factor for their prebiotic potential. In order to determine and elucidate the exact structure of unknown IMOs and MOs, unambiguous assignments of $^{13}C$ and $^1H$ chemical shifts of commercial standards, representative of IMOs and MOs diversity, have been determined using optimized standard one and two-dimensional experiments such as $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR, APT and ${^1}H-{^1}H$ COSY, TOCSY, NOESY and <$^1H-{^{13}}C$ heteronuclear HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY, and HMBC. Here we point out the differential effect of substitution by a glucose residue at different positions on chemical shifts of anomeric as well as ring carbons together with the effect of the reducing end configuration for low DP oligosaccharides and diasteroisotopic effect for H-6 protons. From this study, structural $^{13}C$ specific spectral features can be identified as tools for structural analysis of isomaltooligosaccharides.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.63-71
• /
• 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the minimally meaningful dosage of inulin leading to a prebiotic effect in Indonesian infants. Methods: In a randomized controlled double-blinded, parallel, 3-arm intervention study, 164 healthy formula-fed infants aged 3 to 5 months first obtained formula-A (without inulin) during a 4-week adaptation period. Subsequently, 142 subjects were subjected to a 4-week feeding period by administering either formula-A (no inulin), formula-B (0.2 g/100 mL inulin) or formula-C (0.4 g/100 mL inulin). The primary outcome parameter was %-bifidobacteria in faecal samples determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses. Secondary outcome parameters were faecal %-lactobacilli, pH and stool frequency, and consistency. Growth and tolerance/adverse effects were recorded as safety parameters. Results: Typical %-bifidobacteria and %-lactobacilli at the end of the adaptation period in the study population were 14% and 2%, respectively. For faecal pH, significant differences between formula groups A vs. C and A vs. B were found at the end of the intervention period. Testing for differences in faecal %-bifidobacteria and %-lactobacilli between groups was hampered by non-normal data set distributions; no statistically significant differences were obtained. Comparisons within groups revealed that only in formula group C, all the three relevant parameters exhibited a significant effect with an increase in faecal %-bifidobacteria and %-lactobacilli and a decrease in pH. Conclusion: A consistent prebiotic effect along with a decrease in pH and increase in %-bifidobacteria and %-lactobacilli was found only in the group administered 0.4 g inulin/100 mL.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.850-860
• /
• 2023

The effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharides, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis supplementation on hybrid grouper Epinephelus akaara ♀×Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂ were evaluated. The fish were fed a basal diet and five other diets consisting of 0.6% mannan oligosaccharides, L. plantarum, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis and mixture of each 0.15% prebiotic and all the probiotics (designated as MOS, LP, BS, BL, and SYN) for 56 days. Growth performance and feed utilization showed no significant differences among all experimental groups. Lipid level of whole-body was significantly high in MOS and BL groups. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase was significantly low in BL and SYN groups. Nitro-blue tetrazolium, lysozyme and anti-protease, and glutathione peroxidase in BS, SYN, and all probiotic groups, respectively, were significantly high. Intestinal Vibrio bacteria was significantly low in all probiotic and SYN groups. Gene expression of interleukin-1β and interleukin-10 in SYN group; transforming growth factor β2 in MOS and BS groups, toll-like receptor 2-2 in BS and BL groups; and C-type lectin in MOS, LP and SYN groups were significantly upregulated. Our findings indicate that mannan oligosaccharides, L. plantarum, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis could improve innate immunity, antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammation, and intestinal microbiota of hybrid grouper.

• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.743-757
• /
• 2023

The formulation of a novel functional fresh apple juice enriched with dietary prebiotic fiber (inulin or polydextrose), ginger extract (GE), and cardamom essential oil (CEO) was carried out based on a combined D-optimal design. In the first stage, sensory evaluation was performed to screen and select the optimum sample for further experiments. The sensory evaluation showed that the sample containing inulin 0.25 g/100 g GE and 0.03 g/100 g CEO had the highest organoleptic score. In the second stage, various chemical experiments, including pH, acidity, formalin index, total phenol, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, and vitamin C content, were evaluated on the selected enriched apple juices. The addition of GE and CEO caused changes in nutritional characteristics, including antioxidant capacity, total phenol, flavonoids, vitamin C, and IC50, from 35 g/100 g, 350 mg GAE/g, 17 mg/L, 370 mg/kg, and 1,800 mg/kg to 45 g/100 g, 460 mg GAE/g, 21 mg/L, 420 mg/kg, and 1,200 mg/kg respectively. The steady shear flow and dynamic oscillatory shear rheological tests were also performed on the screened samples, and results showed that the addition of dietary fiber in apple juices increased the apparent viscosity, storage modulus, loss modulus, and complex viscosity. In general, adding plant extracts and processed essential oil to apple juice increased the nutritional-nutraceutical value and sensory attributes of apple juice.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.1426-1434
• /
• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation of synbiotics manufactured with anaerobic bacteria, yeast and mold on preservation of total mixed ration (TMR) by exposing days. Eight treatments were composed of untreated synbiotics(US), bacterial synbiotics (BS), yeasty synbiotics (YS), moldy synbiotics (MS), bacterial and mouldy synbiotics (BMS), yeasty and moldy synbiotics (YMS), bacterial and yeasty synbiotics (BYS), and bacterial, yeasty and moldy synbiotics (BYMS). After 7 days of anaerobic fermentation, fermented-TMRs were exposed to the air during 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 days. One hundred forty four (8 treatments${\times}$6 days${\times}$3 replications) fermented-TMRs were manufactured by vinyl bag ($43\;cm{\times}58\;cm$). Although no significant differences in the activities of carboxymethylcellulase, xylanase and amylase were observed among treatments, theirs acivities were seemed to increase by treatment of BYS or YMS containing yeast. Total bacterial and mold counts also decreased in the treatments containing yeast. Potential pathogenic bacteria were less detected in BYS and BMYS for E. coli, BMYS and YS for Salmonella, and BMS and BMYS for Shigella than those of the other treatments, MS was, however, contaminated easier than US by pathogenic bacteria. From above results, synbiotics containing facultative anaerobic yeast have effects for preservation of TMR fermented anaerobically. Particularly, BMYS treatment having good results in nutrient contents, dry matter loss and pathogenic bacteria amounts was a resonable synbiotics for preservation of the fermented-TMR.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.24-29
• /
• 2013

In the present study, the effects of prebiotics and prebiotics+probiotics on intestinal microflora and fermentation products were evaluated in a pig in vitro fermentation model. The substrates used in this study were iso-malto oligosaccharide (IMO), partially digested chicory-inulin (CI), raffinose (RA), and cyclodextrin (CD) as prebiotics and Lactobacillus reiteri as probiotics. For a pig in vitro fermentation, the experimental diet for growing pigs was predigested using digestive enzymes secreted by small intestine and this hydrolyzed diet was mixed with a buffer solution containing 5% fresh swine feces. The mixture was then incubated with either prebiotics or prebiotics+probiotics for 24 h. Samples were taken at 24 h, and viable counts of microflora, gas, pH, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) were analyzed. The viable count of Enterobacteriaceae was significantly decreased (p<0.001) in all treatments containing prebiotics and prebiotics+probiotics when compared to the control. However, the number of lactic acid bacteria increased in the prebiotics and prebiotics+probiotics treatment. The pH values in the fermentation fluid decreased in all treatments when compared to the control, and their effects were greater in the prebiotics+probiotics group than prebiotics group. Fermentation with prebiotics resulted in a reduction in malodorous compounds such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and skatole when compared to the prebiotics+probiotics group. Short-chain fatty acid production was also higher for treatment with prebiotics+probiotics than treatment with prebiotics. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrated that fermentation with prebiotics was effective in reducing the formation of malodorous compounds and prebiotics+probiotics was effective in increasing lactic acid bacteria and SCFA and reducing the pH. Moreover, further studies will be needed to determine whether the results observed in the in vitro model would occur in pigs that ingest these prebiotics or probiotics.

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