General Research on Prebiotics including General Health Impact

Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: introducing the concept of prebiotics.

J Nutr. 1995 Jun;125(6):1401-12. Gibson GR, Roberfroid MB; MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

• Because the human gut microbiota can play a major role in host health, attempts have been made to increase bacterial groups such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus perceived as exerting health-promoting properties.
• Probiotics, defined as microbial food supplements that beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance, may be transient.
• In contrast, the nondigestible food ingredients known as prebiotics beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacterial species already resident in the colon, and thus attempt to improve host health.
• Intake of prebiotics can significantly modulate the colonic microbiota by increasing the number of specific bacteria and thus changing the composition of the microbiota.
• Prebtotic nondigestible oligosaccharides in general, and fructooligosaccharides have been shown to stimulate the growth of endogenous bifidobacteria, which after a short feeding period become predominant in human feces.
• Moreover, these prebiotics modulate lipid metabolism, most likely via fermentation products.

Health benefits of probiotics and prebiotics in women.

Menopause Int. 2009 Mar;15(1):35-40. de Vrese M; Institut für Physiologie und Biochemie der Ernährung, Max Rubner Institut, Hermann-Weigman-Strasse 1, Kiel, Germany.

• Among the numerous positive effects of probiotic microorganisms and prebiotic carbohydrates observed in clinical studies some are of specific relevance to female health.
• This review addresses preventive and/or therapeutic applications of probiotic bacteria in order to maintain a balanced intestinal and urogenital flora.
• Further aspects are the promotion of bone health and osteoporosis prevention brought about by prebiotic fibers: inulin & oligofructose.
• Some further conditions, namely anorexia nervosa, the premenstrual syndrome as well as prevention or alleviation of climacteric and menopausal disorders are addressed briefly.

Prebiotics: The Concept Revisited.

Marcel Roberfroid ; J Nutr. 2007; 137: 830S

• A prebiotic is a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and health
• Today, only 2 dietary nondigestible oligosaccharides fulfill all the criteria for prebiotic classification.
• The ingested prebiotic stimulates the whole indigenous population of bifidobacteria to growth, and the larger that population, the larger is the number of new bacterial cells appearing in feces.

Non-digestible oligosaccharides with prebiotic properties.

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(6):459-71. Swennen K, Courtin CM, Delcour JA; Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium.

• Probiotics, i.e. living microbial food supplements, and prebiotics, i.e. non-digestible food ingredients, target the gastrointestinal microbiota.
• While in the Western world, intake of probiotics has been recommended for long, prebiotics in general, and non-digestible oligosaccharides in particular, have only recently received attention.
• This review deals with production and characterization of non-digestible oligosaccharides and focuses on their role in promoting health and treating diseases.
• Attention is paid to the effects of non-digestible oligosaccharides on constipation, mineral absorption, lipid metabolism, cancer prevention, hepatic encephalopathy, glycemia/insulinemia, and immunomodulation.

Probiotics and prebiotics in dietetics practice.

J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Mar;108(3):510-21. Douglas LC, Sanders ME; Lone Tree, CO, USA.

• Probiotics and prebiotics share a unique role in human nutrition, largely centering on manipulation of populations or activities of the bacteria that colonize our bodies.
• Regular consumption of probiotics or prebiotics brings benefits that include enhanced immune function, improved colonic integrity, decreased incidence and duration of intestinal infections, down-regulated allergic response, and improved digestion and elimination.
• Research has shown that probiotics and prebiotics may be useful in achieving these and other positive effects, provided that proper strain, product selection, and dosing guidelines of commercial products are followed.
• There is a need to consolidate the basic and applied research on probiotics and prebiotics into useful tools for food and nutrition professionals.
• The aim of the science and practice-based guidelines presented is to enhance clinician and client understanding of probiotics and prebiotics, with the aim of improving appropriate recommendation and informed use of these emerging dietary ingredients and the products containing them.

Prebiotic Capacity of Inulin-Type Fructans.

Sofia Kolida, Glenn R. Gibson; J Nutr. 2007; 137: 2503S

• The human gut microbiota plays a significant role in human health through its ability to digest food ingredients and manufacture metabolites
• Moreover, the microflora plays an active role in host defense whereby colonization resistance affords protection against pathogens.
• Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that target beneficial components of the gut microflora (mainly colonic), particularly the bifidobacteria.
• Evidence has accumulated to confirm the prebiotic effects of inulin-derived fructans.

Review article: prebiotics in the gastrointestinal tract

Macfarlane S et al; Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006; 24(5): P-701-14

• Prebiotics are short-chain carbohydrates that alter the composition, or metabolism, of the gut microbiota in a beneficial manner.
• It is therefore expected that prebiotics will improve health in a way similar to probiotics, whilst at the same time being cheaper, and carrying less risk and being easier to incorporate into the diet than probiotics.
• Three sources of Prebiotics, oligofructose, galacto-oligosaccharides and lactulose, clearly alter the balance of the large bowel microbiota by increasing bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus numbers.
• These carbohydrates are fermented and give rise to short-chain fatty acid and intestinal gas; however, effects on bowel habit are relatively small.
• Randomized-controlled trials of their effect in a clinical context are few, although animal studies show anti-inflammatory effects in inflammatory bowel disease, while calcium absorption is increased.
• CONCLUSIONS: It is still early days for prebiotics, but they offer the potential to modify the gut microbial balance in such a way as to bring direct health benefits cheaply and safely.