FunctionalFoods,ProbioticsandPrebiotics

DearReader
WelcometothisweeksnewsletteroftheFunctionalFoodCenter(FFC).Asyoumay
alreadyknow,wearecurrentlypreparingforour19thInternationalConferencethatwill
takeplaceonNovember1718,2015atKobeUniversityinJapan.Thisconferencewill
focusontheresearchdrawnbyexpertsinmedicine,biology,andfoodindustrytoexplore
thetopicsoffunctionalfoods,longevityandqualityoflife.Morespecifically,thisweeks
newsletterwilladdressoneoftheseveraltopicsthatwillbediscussedduringthe
conference:Probiotics,prebioticsandintestinalenvironment.
Probiotics,PrebioticsandIntestinalEnvironment
Withthedevelopmentoftheconceptoffunctionalfoodsoverthelastfewyears,an
importantconsiderationforthisconcepthasbeenthedietarysupplementationthatcan
affectgutmicrobialcomposition.Themicrobiotainourcolonfunctionsinamannersothat
thisorganisthemostmetabolicallyactiveorganinthebody,whichhighlightsthe
significanceofitsnutritionalrole.Dietarysupplementationcanaffectandmodulatethe
largegutmicrobiotacompositionanditsactivitiesandtwoofthemajoronesareprobiotics
andprebiotics.
Probioticbacteriahavegrowninpopularityduringthelastfewdecadesasaresultofthe
scientificresearchacknowledgingtheirbeneficialeffectsonhumanhealth.Manyfood
industrieshavestartedincorporatingprobioticsintotheirproductsasaconsequence,
especiallyinfermenteddairyfoods.Despitethepromisingevidence,theirnutritionalvalue
andbeneficialpropertiesarestillbeingheavilyresearchedtoensurethesafetyand
effectivenessoffunctionalfoodswithprobiotics.
Probioticsarecommonlyknownaslivebacteriathatcanactashealthpromotingagentsin
thedigestivesystem.Untilrecently,themostwidelyuseddefinitionwasthatofFuller:
probioticsarelivemicrobialfeedsupplementswhichbeneficiallyaffectthehostanimalby
improvingmicrobialbalance.1ThemostrecentdefinitionwasprovidedbytheFoodand
AgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNationsWorldHealthOrganization(FAO),which
redefinedprobioticsaslivemicroorganismswhichwhenadministeredinadequate
amountsconferahealthbenefitonthehost.2
Unlikeprobiotics,prebioticsarespecializedplantfibersthatbeneficiallynourishthe
bacteria.ThistermwascoinedbyGibsonandRoberfroidin1995asthefoodsupplements
thatcannotbedigestedbythehostbutareabletocreatebeneficialeffectsbythe
stimulationofgrowthoractivityofbacteriathatarepresentinthegut.Themostcommonly
usedprebioticsarefructooligosaccharides,andtheseareavailableassubstratesforthe
probioticsinthegastrointestinaltract,insteadofbeingabsorbeddirectly.3Therefore,while

probioticsintroducebeneficialbacteriaintothedigestivesystem,prebioticsactasa
fertilizerorstimulatorofthegoodbacteriathatisalreadythere.
Themostcommonlyusedbacterialgeneraforprobioticsareeitherlactobacilliand
bifidobacteria.Theiringestioncanrestorethecompositionofthegutmicrobiome,orin
otherwordsthepopulationofmicrobesintheintestine,andintroducebeneficialfunctions
togutmicrobialcommunities,aidinginthepreventionofgutinflammationandother
intestinaldiseasephenotypes.4Someofthemorespecificbenefitsthathavebeenattributed
toprobioticsincludealleviationoflactoseintolerance,enhancementoftheimmune
response,decreaseinfecalenzymesandmutagenicity,reductionofserumcholesterol,
reductioninrotavirusinduceddiarrheaandcancerprevention.
Ontheotherhand,theonlyprebioticsforwhichsufficientdatahavebeengeneratedinclude
thenativeinulinandsyntheticfructooligosaccharides.Inulinisapolydisperse
carbohydratematerialconsistingmainly,ifnotexclusively,of(21)fructosylfructose
links.BecauseoftheconfigurationoftheanomericC2intheirfructosemonomers,
inulintypefructansarenotonlynondigestibleintheupperpartofthedigestivetract,but
alsocannotbeabsorbedtoanyextent.5Invivoandinvitrostudieshavefoundthatthe
inulintypefructansarefermentedbytheprobioticsinthelargebowel,makingthesethe
prototypesofprebiotics.
Somespecificexamplesofhowprebioticscanaidhealtharethefacilitationofcolonic
absorptionofminerals,particularlyCa2+andMg2+andthedecreaseinserumcholesterol
throughthemetabolismoflipids.Therehavealsobeenclaimsthattheinulintypefructans
helpreducetheriskofdiseaseandotherconditions,suchasconstipationrelief,suppression
ofdiarrhea,reductionofosteoporosisriskandreductionofobesityrisk.5However,these
claimsareonlytentativeandstillneedtobevalidatedandsupportedbyfurtherresearch.
Becausethehealtheffectoffoodisamajordeterminingfactoronitsconsumption,thefood
industryhasinvestedinsomegreatinnovations,mainlyintheformofadditives,
ingredients,andfunctionalfoods.Andduetothenumerouspossiblehealthadvantages
previouslymentioned,probioticsandprebioticsarenowconsideredimportantinthefood
industry.
Therangeoffoodproductswithprobioticstrainsisvastandstillexpanding.Themain
productsaredairybasedones,suchasfermentedmilks,icecream,milkpowder,cheese,
buttermilkandyogurts.Othernondairyproductsincludesoybasedproducts,cereals,
nutritionbars,andawholevarietyofjuicesthatservetodeliveradequatequantitiesof
probioticstotheconsumer.6Asforprebiotics,severalindustrialproductscontainingthem
canbefoundinthemarket,suchasindairyproducts,margarine,pasta,cereals,breaks,
biscuits,juices,andcandies.
Thereareafewfactorsthatmustbeevaluatedtolookattheeffectivenessoftheprobiotic
strainsintosuchproducts.Forexample,thecompatibilityoftheproductwiththe
microorganismsandwhetheritstaysviablethroughthefoodprocessing,packagingand

storingconditionsshouldbeexamined.Further,theproductspHisacrucialfactorthat
determinestheprobioticssurvivalandgrowth,andfindingtherightpHinafoodproduct
thatwilldelivertheprobioticinaviablestateiskeytodevelopingfunctionalfoods.7
Throughtheadvanceintechnology,waystoprotectprobioticsandprebioticshavebeen
developed,aswellasthepossibilityofcombiningbothentitiesintoonecalleda
synbiotic.Synbioticscouldbeneficiallyaffectthehostbyimprovingtheimplantationand
thesurvivaloflivemicrobialsupplementsinthegastrointestinaltractbyselectively
stimulatingthegrowthofoneorseveralhealthpromotingbacteria.3Althoughthecreation
ofasynbiotichasnotbeenachievedyet,itisnowthenextbiggestinnovationtobe
discovered,sincetheireffectsmightbeadditiveorevensynergistic.
References
R.Fuller,Probioticsinmanandanimals,JournalofAppliedBacteriology,vol.66,no.5,
pp.365378,1989.
FAO/WHO,ReportonJointFAO/WHOExpertConsultationonEvaluationofHealthand
NutritionalPropertiesofProbioticsinFoodIncludingPowderMilkwithLiveLacticAcid
Bacteria,2001.
2

G.R.GibsonandM.B.Roberfroid,Dietarymodulationofthehumancolonic
microbiota:introducingtheconceptofprebiotics,JournalofNutrition,vol.125,no.6,pp.
14011412,1995.
3

PeeraHemarajataandJamesVersalovic,Effectsofprobioticsongutmicrobiota:
mechanismsofintestinalimmunomodulationandneuromodulation,Journalof
TherapeuticAdvancesinGastroenterology,vol.6,no.1,pp.3951,2013.
4

M.B.Roberfroid,Prebioticsandprobiotics:Aretheyfunctionalfoods?Am.J.Clin.
Nutr.71(Suppl.):1682S1687S,2000.
5

C.Stanton,G.Gardiner,H.Meehanetal.,Marketpotentialforprobiotics,American
JournalofClinicalNutrition,vol.73,no.2,pp.476S483S,2001.
6

SalminenS,BouleyCH,BoutroRuaultMC,etal.Functionalfoodscienceand
gastrointestinalphysiologyandfunction.BrJNutr1998;80(suppl):S14771.
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