Enzymes from a balanced human gut flora are promising tools to design prebiotic oligosaccharides. In this study, we investigated the action of enzymes from fecal bacteria on the complex polysaccharide konjac glucomannan (KGM). The oligosaccharides produced were compared to oligosaccharides from KGM digests with fungal endo-β-(1,4)-glucanase (EG) or endo-β-(1,4)-mannanase (EM). For this purpose, the oligosaccharides from the different digests were first studied for their structural characteristics like monosugar composition and exo-enzymatic degradability, as monitored by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. Whereas the oligosaccharides produced by EG and EM were characteristic for the selectivity of the respective enzyme in cleaving the mannose-/glucose-sugar linkages of KGM, oligosaccharides produced by the fecal enzymes did not point to a sugar-selective degradation. The oligosaccharide fragments from the different digests indicated the KGM polysaccharide to be composed of a backbone composed of short mannose and glucose sequences, to which branches rich in mannose are attached.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.