Currently, prebiotics are all carbohydrates of relatively short chain length. One important group is the fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a special kind of prebiotic associated to the selective stimulation of the activity of certain groups of colonic bacteria. They have a positive and beneficial effect on intestinal microbiota, reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal infections and also possessing a recognized bifidogenic effect. Traditionally, these prebiotic compounds have been obtained through extraction processes from some plants, as well as through enzymatic hydrolysis of sucrose. However, different fermentative methods have also been proposed for the production of FOS, such as solid-state fermentations utilizing various agro-industrial by-products. By optimizing the culture parameters, FOS yields and productivity can be improved. The use of immobilized enzymes and cells has also been proposed as being an effective and economic method for large-scale production of FOS. This article is an overview of the results considering recent studies on FOS biosynthesis, physicochemical properties, sources, biotechnological production and applications.

Biological wastes contain several reusable substances of high value such as soluble sugars and fiber. Direct disposal of such wastes to soil or landfill causes serious environmental problems. Thus, the development of potential value-added processes for these wastes is highly attractive. These biological wastes can be used as support-substrates in Solid-State Fermentation (SSF) to produce industrially relevant metabolites with great economical advantage. In addition, it is an environment friendly method of waste management. In this study were analyzed six different Mexican agro industrial residues to evaluate their suitability as support-substrate in SSF, between physicochemical properties that have included Water Absorption Index (WAI), Critical Moisture Point (CHP) and Packing Density (PD). The selection of an appropriate solid substrate plays an important role in the development of an efficient SSF process. The results provided important knowledge about the characteristics of these materials revealing their potential for use in fermentation processes.

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