Models to Evaluate the Prebiotic Potential of Foods

Abstract

The interest in studying the prebiotic effect of foods is increasing due to the way in which the consumption of these foods influences the gut microbiota and how the metabolic activity of the microbiota affects the health and well-being of the host. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have been developed to elucidate the prebiotic effect of foods, and particularly in in vivo studies, the physiological dynamics of this effect has been studied in healthy or diseased individuals. In this chapter, the main in vitro and in vivo models developed for the study of the prebiotic potential of foods will be approached, which can be used by those planning to advance in this field of research.

Neuroprotective Potential of Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides: An Overview of Experimental Evidence

“…It has been difficult to assess and measure the global consumption of prebiotics since they are found in varied food groups from natural sources, viz., vegetables, fruits, milk, and honey, to wide ranges of supplements (de Souza Aquino et al, 2017;Carlson et al, 2018). The prebiotics from natural sources include resistant starch, GOS, FOS, XOS, POS, and other oligosaccharides (de Souza Aquino et al, 2017). Without the inclusive list of food ingredients on the food package, epidemiologic tracking of prebiotic consumption pattern is difficult to ascertain (Carlson et al, 2018).…”

“…To maintain gut health, most prebiotics require an average oral dose of 3-5 g/day. However, daily dose recommendations depend on the nature of the food containing a prebiotic compound whether it is naturally present or specifically added (de Souza Aquino et al, 2017). Scientific evidence indicates that the consumption of inulin (5-8 g/day), FOS (3 g/day), and GOS (4 g/day) led to a significant increase in fecal probiotic bifidobacteria (de Souza Aquino et al, 2017).…”

Comparison of fermentation properties in raw and boiled legumes after simulated digestion

“…Generally, fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates, proteins, and other fibers in the large intestine produces beneficial as well as nonbeneficial compounds that could affect the bowel health. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as acetic, propionic, and butyric are some of them which may confer various health benefits to human beings (Aquino et al, 2017;Rowland et al, 2018). Probiotic bacterial species, mainly Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, are responsible for the production of these short-chain fatty acids, mostly due to the fermentation of dietary oligosaccharides (Fernando et al, 2010).…”

“…Probiotic bacterial species, mainly Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, are responsible for the production of these short-chain fatty acids, mostly due to the fermentation of dietary oligosaccharides (Fernando et al, 2010). Furthermore, the fermentation process by beneficial microorganisms is vital in reducing the population of pathogenic microorganisms in the gut due to the significant reduction of colonic pH (Aquino et al, 2017;Campbell et al, 1997).…”