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Potential colon health benefits of fructooligosaccharides |
H. S. HUSSEIN, Dept. of Animal Biotechnology, Univ. of Nevada, Reno, Mail Stop 202, Reno, NV 89557-0104 Short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS or FOS) are indigestible sugars that occur naturally in onions, wheat, barley, bananas, tomatoes, honey, and other food ingredients. FOS consists of a sucrose molecule (glucose-fructose disaccharide; GF) linked to one (GF2), two (GF3), or three (GF4), additional fructose units added by b 2-1 glycosidic linkages to the fructose unit of sucrose. Large-scale production of FOS is achieved by the action of b-fructofuranosidase (i.e., an endocellular enzyme preparation from a natural, genetically unmodified strain of the fungus Aspergillus) on a sucrose syrup solution. FOS are neither degraded by low-pH gastric fluid nor digested by gastrointestinal tract enzymes. Although FOS have been shown to be completely fermented in the colon, variable fermentation abilities have been detected for different colonic bacterial species. This selective nature of FOS has resulted in their dietary supplementation to manipulate the colonic microbiota towards a more health-supporting population (i.e. lactobacilli and bifidobacteria). FOS have self-affirmed and FDA reviewed GRAS, and have been added to infant foods, yogurt, and other food products, and food supplements. The first objective of this review is to identify the direct (competitive exclusion) and indirect (fermentation acids) effects of FOS fermentation on colon health. The second objective is to provide a quantitative assessment of the in vitro and in vivo fermentation characteristics of FOS in companion animals and humans. The third objective is to explore the potential role of FOS in reducing colon production of the putrefactive compounds known to cause colon cancer.
Session 21, Health benefits and functionality of fructooligosaccharides
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