Research Article | OPEN ACCESS
Effect of Prebiotic Compounds on the Growth and Survival of Bifidobacteria in a Laboratory Medium
Antonio Bevilacqua, Milena Sinigaglia, Barbara Speranza and Clelia Altieri
Department of the Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71122, Foggia, Italy
Advance Journal of Food Science and Technology 2016 12:770-774
Received: April 14, 2015 | Accepted: May 10, 2015 | Published: August 25, 2016
Abstract
This study focuses on the effects of 5 prebiotics (low and high molecular weight dextrans, fructo-oligosaccharides, inulin and lactulose) on 6 bifidobacteria strains (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, B. animalis subsp. animalis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. longum subsp. infantis and B. longum) in a laboratory medium. Two different assays were conducted (a growth experiment-for all the strains-and a survival assay-for B. animalis subsp. lactis and B. breve). Glucose was used as positive control. Growth assay pinpointed that lactulose could be successfully used to promote bifidobacteria and attain a growth index for B. animalis subsp. animalis and B. longum subsp. infantis higher than with glucose. Concerning the bifidogenic effect, it is not clear if it could be observed also during the death phase, as we recovered a beneficial effect for B. breve but not for B. animalis subsp. lactis.
Keywords:
Bifidobacterium spp, bifidogenic effect, growth, prebiotic compounds, survival,
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