Dietary fibre consists of remnants of edible plant cell polysaccharides and associated substances resistant to hydrolysis by human alimentary enzymes, which may benefit health through a wide range of physiological effects. Inulin and oligofructose are storage carbohydrates found in a number of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. They resist digestion and absorption in the stomach and small int...

Several nondigestible but fermentable dietary carbohydrates are able to regulate lipemia and triglyceridemia in both humans and animals. The mechanism of their serum lipid–lowering effect remains to be elucidated. Oligofructose, which is a mixture of nondigestible and fermentable fructans, can decrease triacylglycerol in VLDL when given to rats. The triacylglycerol-lowering action of oligofruct...

Inulin and oligofructose are functional food ingredients which offer a unique combination of nutritional properties and important technological benefits. They are found in many vegetables and fruits and can be industrially obtained from chicory roots. In food formulations, inulin and oligofructose may significantly improve organoleptic characteristics. Their incorporation allows upgrading of bo...

Considering the high frequency of anaemia due to Fe deficiency, it is important to evaluate the effects of prebiotics on the absorption of Fe. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of high-performance (HP) inulin, oligofructose and synergy1 during recovery from anaemia in rats through the intestinal absorption of Fe, food intake, body growth, caecal pH and weight of the intes...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Patients with diarrhoea during enteral nutrition (EN) have been shown to have low faecal bifidobacteria concentrations. Oligofructose/inulin selectively stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria in healthy humans. This study investigates the effect of additional oligofructose/inulin on the gastrointestinal microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and faecal output in patients r...

Wheat bran extract (WBE) is a food-grade soluble fibre preparation that is highly enriched in arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides. In this placebo-controlled cross-over human intervention trial, tolerance to WBE as well as the effects of WBE on faecal parameters, including faecal output and bowel habits, were studied. After a 2-week run-in period, twenty healthy volunteers consumed WBE (15 g/d in the...

Previously, we showed that oligofructose (10%) supplementation during pregnancy and lactation increased endotoxemia in 21-d-old pups. The present study evaluated the effect of 10% oligofructose diet supplementation during pregnancy and lactation in the presence or absence of hydrogenated vegetable fat on the pro-inflammatory status of 21-d-old offspring. On the first day of pregnancy, female Wi...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals was used to estimate the intake of naturally occurring inulin and oligofructose by the U.S. population. Two nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls from >15,000 Americans of all ages were conducted, and a special database of inulin and oligofructose was developed specifically for the analyses. American die...

The ileostomy model is considered to be a reliable model to reflect small bowel absorption. Studies in ileostomy subjects have shown that inulin and oligofructose pass through the small bowel without degradation and without influencing the absorption of nitrogen, fat, starch, calcium, magnesium or zinc. Inulin and oligofructose do not have any considerable effect on cholesterol absorption or bi...

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of abomasal carbohydrate infusion on nutrient digestibility and fecal measures. In Exp. 1, 5 Holstein steers were assigned to a Latin square with 1-wk periods and were abomasally infused on a single day at the end of each period with water alone, a single pulse dose of water with 1 g/kg BW oligofructose or cornstarch, or 4 pulse doses of water ...