Prebiotic Potential of Oligosaccharides: In Vitro Study of Indonesian Local Honey from Apis spp. and Trigona spp. Bees

Abstract

Oligosaccharide compounds (FOS, GOS) have gained huge commercial interest due to their beneficial properties in human health as prebiotics. This study aims to isolate the oligosaccharides compounds and investigate the prebiotic potential of Indonesian local honey from Apis spp. (KR) and Trigona spp. (KL) honey bees. The isolation of oligosaccharides was done utilizing the adsorption activity of activated carbon. The qualitative assay to investigate the oligosaccharides was performed by TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) method. The isolated oligosaccharides was determined quantitatively by the Phenol-Sulphuric Acid method (Total Sugar) and dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) methods (Reducing Sugar). The total sugar content from oligosaccharides of KR and KL were 1287.82±3.11 mg/L and 336.54±0.00 mg/L respectively. The reducing sugar content from oligosaccharides of KR and KL were 387.33±8.08 mg/L and 144.67±8.08 mg/L. The in vitro analysis of prebiotic activity was performed by Bacterial Growth Assay and Total Plate Counting from Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum on each 0, 24, and 48 hours. The Total Plate Counting showed that the maximum bacterial growth on Lactobacillus acidophilus for KR was (8.00±0.28) 108 cfu/mL after 24 hours and (7.35±0.78) 108 cfu/mL for KL after inoculated for 48 hours.