Prebiotic effect of D-allulose and β-glucan on whey beverage with Bifidobacterium animalis and investigation of some health effects of this functional beverage on rats

Abstract

To meet consumer requirements and expectations, innovative approaches to combining whey with other ingredients are being explored. The demand for health-promoting drinks containing vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, minerals, and bioactive components (antioxidants) has risen, propelling market expansion. The purpose of this study was to develop a synbiotic functional whey beverage supplemented with Bifidobacterium animalis, D-allulose, and β-glucan and evaluate its microbiological, physicochemical, and influence on several health indicators in a Wistar rat model. The beverage supplemented with D-allulose had the highest average viable counts of B. animalis (9.20 log 10 CFU/g) and was the second most preferred in terms of of taste, texture and general acceptability compared to β-glucan-containing beverage. The highest TAS and lowest TOS values were determined in the serum samples of rats belonging to group WA, WG and WAG, respectively. This study might lead to additional studies focusing on specific variables and the relevance of utilizing D-allulose in dairy product processing.

Vitamin D supplementation in patients after bariatric surgery

“…Symbiotics, according to Mohanty et al (2018), are the combination between probiotics and prebiotics, which exert a synergistic effect, assisting in improving the survival and implementation of the products content of living microorganisms, usually found in the form of foods, medicines and supplements. Rugji et al (2022) developed a functional drink based on whey, being added Bifidobacterium animalis as probiotic and D-alulose and β-glucan as prebiotics, in this work the authors evaluated the microbiological and physicochemical aspect of the drink, as well as its interference in several health indicators of Wistar rats, concluding that the beverage developed has the potential to play an important role in health promotion and protection against diseases, especially regarding the reduction of total cholesterol, improvement of blood lipid profile and reduction or maintenance of body weight. Bambace et al (2019) added Lactobacillus rhamnosus in an alginate-based coating, enriched with…”