AIMS To compare the in vitro fermentation properties of pectins and oligosaccharides derived from them in pure and mixed faecal cultures. METHODS AND RESULTS Specific growth rates of selected bacterial genera were calculated in pure culture. Bifidobacterium angulatum, B. infantis and B. adolescentis had higher growth rates on pectic oligosaccharides (POS I) derived from high methylated pectin...

background: the application of natural compounds including green tea extract (gte) in food and pharmaceutical industries is limited. encapsulation in nanoliposomes could be used as a delivery system to protect these compounds during processing and storage. objective: in this study encapsulation of green tea extract in nanoliposomes and evaluation of its antibacterial, antioxidant and prebiotic ...

Attractive candidates for compartmentalizing prebiotic cells are membranes comprised of single-chain fatty acids. It is generally believed that life may have originated in the depth of the protoocean, that is, under high hydrostatic pressure conditions, but the structure and physical-chemical properties of prebiotic membranes under such conditions have not yet been explored. We report the tempe...

A compendium of different types of abiotic chemical syntheses identifies a consensus set of 10 "prebiotic" α-amino acids. Before the emergence of biosynthetic pathways, this set is the most plausible resource for protein formation (i.e., proteogenesis) within the overall process of abiogenesis. An essential unsolved question regarding this prebiotic set is whether it defines a "foldable set"--t...

BACKGROUND Galactooligosaccharides are selectively fermented by the beneficial member of the colonic microflora contributing to the health of the host. OBJECTIVE We assessed the prebiotic potential of a novel galactooligosaccharide produced through the action of beta-galactosidases, originating from a probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum strain, against a galactooligosaccharide produced through ...

BACKGROUND Vernonia amygdalina, commonly called bitter-leaf, is widely consumed in many parts of Africa, and Nigeria, in particular. The leaf extract has been reported to have antimicrobial, anti-plasmodial, anti-helminthic, as well as prebiotic properties, but its immuno-modulatory effects have not been well-studied, neither have the prebiotics been identified. This study evaluated the immuno-...

Prebiotic oligosaccharides are increasingly demanded within the Food Science domain because of the interesting healthy properties that these compounds may induce to the organism, thanks to their beneficial intestinal microbiota growth promotion ability. In this regard, the development of new efficient, convenient and affordable methods to obtain this class of compounds might expand even further...

A prebiotic is "a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and health." Today, only 2 dietary nondigestible oligosaccharides fulfill all the criteria for prebiotic classification. The daily dose of the prebiotic is not a determinant of the prebiotic effect,...