A structure-function study was carried out to increase knowledge of how glycosidic linkages and molecular weights of carbohydrates contribute toward the selectivity of fermentation by gut bacteria. Oligosaccharides with maltose as the common carbohydrate source were used. Potentially prebiotic alternansucrase and dextransucrase maltose acceptor products were synthesized and separated into different molecular weights using a Bio-gel P2 column. These fractions were characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight. Nonprebiotic maltooligosaccharides with degrees of polymerization (DP) from three to seven were commercially obtained for comparison. Growth selectivity of fecal bacteria on these oligosaccharides was studied using an anaerobic in vitro fermentation method. In general, carbohydrates of DP3 showed the highest selectivity towards bifidobacteria; however, oligosaccharides with a higher molecular weight (DP6-DP7) also resulted in a selective fermentation. Oligosaccharides with DPs above seven did not promote the growth of "beneficial" bacteria. The knowledge of how specific structures modify the gut microflora could help to find new prebiotic oligosaccharides.

A series of dextrans and beta-lactoglobulin were covalently conjugated and screened for their ability to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. Dextrans with the molecular mass of 19.6 kDa, 87 kDa, 150 kDa, 500 kDa, and 2000 kDa were attached to beta-lactoglobulin via the Maillard reaction. The conjugates were then purified and evaluated as emulsifiers under neutral conditions. The ability to stabilize emulsions was determined by monitoring oil droplet size over time. Adsorption of the conjugates to the droplet surface was characterized by determining the protein surface load. The results show that increasing polysaccharide size increases emulsion stability up to 150 kDa before leveling off. Conversely, surface protein density remains constant until 150 kDa before decreasing with polysaccharide size. A model is presented to interpret the results.

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