Prebiotics and the Health Benefits of Fiber: Current Regulatory Status, Future Research, and Goals,

Abstract

First defined in the mid-1990s, prebiotics, which alter the composition and activity of gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota to improve health and well-being, have generated scientific and consumer interest and regulatory debate. The Life Sciences Research Organization, Inc. (LSRO) held a workshop, Prebiotics and the Health Benefits of Fiber: Future Research and Goals, in February 2011 to assess the current state of the science and the international regulatory environment for prebiotics, identify research gaps, and create a strategy for future research. A developing body of evidence supports a role for prebiotics in reducing the risk and severity of GI infection and inflammation, including diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and ulcerative colitis as well as bowel function disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome. Prebiotics also increase the bioavailability and uptake of minerals and data suggest that they reduce the risk of obesity by promoting satiety and weight loss. Additional research is needed to define the relationship between the consumption of different prebiotics and improvement of human health. New information derived from the characterization of the composition and function of different prebiotics as well as the interactions among and between gut microbiota and the human host would improve our understanding of the effects of prebiotics on health and disease and could assist in surmounting regulatory issues related to prebiotic use.

Effect of Tenebrio molitor larvae meal on growth performance, in vivo nutrients digestibility, somatic and marketable indexes of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

“…In fact, recent studies on humans and mice (Neyrinck et al, 2011 a and b;Brownawell et al, 2012) have suggested that chitin may be useful in restore compositional balance of the intestine microbial community and in improving colonic function even when a high fat diet is consumed.…”

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of (^|^minus;)-Epigallocatechin Gallate on Gut Microbiota and Biomarkers of Colonic Fermentation in Rats

“…Insight into the potential effects of prebiotic and/or probiotic intervention on the gut microbiota can be gained (6). It is well-recognized that prebiotics (e.g., resistant starch, nondigestible oligosaccharides, and sugar alcohols) resist hydrolysis by mammalian enzymes, but are fermented by intestinal bacteria to yield short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), mainly acetic, propionic and butyric acids, eventually stimulating the growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria that are potentially associated with health (7).…”

Influencia del suplemento con inulina enriquecida con fructooligosacáridos sobre el contenido y la densidad mineral ósea tras el parto y la lactación en ratas

“…Existen diferentes estudios que indican un posible efecto beneficioso de los prebióticos sobre la disponibilidad de los minerales y de algunos oligoelementos incluidos en los alimentos, influyendo tanto en su absorción, su retención como en su uso por el organismo (12,13). De entre los prebióticos, los más estudiados son los derivados de la achicoria: la inulina y los fructooligosacáridos (FOS) (14), cuyo consumo está relacionado con un incremento en la absorción del calcio y magnesio a través del aumento de la solubilización de sus sales y de su absorción (15).…”