Agro Produce Processing Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Nabibagh, Bhopal - 462038
Prebiotics are a group of nutrients that are degraded by gut microbiota. Their association with human health has been an area of growing interest in modern years. They can nourish the intestinal microbiota, and their degradation products are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are free into blood circulation, affecting gastrointestinal tracts and distant organs. Fructo-oligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides are the two important groups of prebiotics with beneficial effects on human health. Any food constituent that enters the large intestine is a candidate prebiotic. However, to be effective, selectivity of the fermentation is essential. Most current attention and success have been derived using non-digestible oligosaccharides.Various data have shown that fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are specifically fermented by bifidobacteria.The gastrointestinal microbiota of breast-fed babies differ from classic standard formula fed infants. Different prebiotic oligosaccharides are added to infant formula are galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharide, polydextrose, and blends of these. There is indication that addition of prebiotics in infant formula modifies the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota like that of breastfed infants. They are added to infant formula because of their occurrence in breast milk. Infants on this added formula have a lower stool pH, a better stool consistency and higher concentration of bifidobacteria in their intestine compared to infants on a non-supplemented standard formula.