Recent Development of Prebiotic Research—Statement from an Expert Workshop

Abstract

A dietary prebiotic is defined as ‘a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit’. Although this definition evolved concomitantly with the knowledge and technological developments that accrued in the last twenty years, what qualifies as prebiotic continues to be a matter of debate. In this statement, we report the outcome of a workshop where academic experts working in the field of prebiotic research met with scientists from industry. The workshop covered three main topics: (i) evolution of the prebiotic concept/definition; (ii) the gut modeling in vitro technology PolyFermS to study prebiotic effects; and (iii) the potential novel microbiome-modulating effects associated with vitamins. The future of prebiotic research is very promising. Indeed, the technological developments observed in recent years provide scientists with powerful tools to investigate the complex ecosystem of gut microbiota. Combining multiple in vitro approaches with in vivo studies is key to understanding the mechanisms of action of prebiotics consumption and their potential beneficial effects on the host.

Prebiotics in infant nutrition: a critical appraisal

“…The same evaluation has been recently presented by Skorka et al [11] as regards growth and tolerance parameters, so confirming the same statements of all most recent reviews [79][80][81][82][83][84][85]. Then the following considerations will be focused only on the efficacy of prebiotics as functionally active ingredients of infant formula.…”

Changes in the Diversity of Human Skin Microbiota to Cosmetic Serum Containing Prebiotics: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…GOS treatment was expected to induce higher diversity than the serum base treatment because GOS as a prebiotic enhances environmental diversity of the skin microbes. Prebiotics are "fertilizers" or "foods" with components that selectively promote the growth of these essential microorganisms, thereby potentially improving the host health [30]. S. aureus was the most common species found on the skin of the subjects, as shown in Supplementary 3 and Figure 5, and has been recognized as a crucial cause of skin infection [31].…”

Changes in The Diversity of Human Skin Microbiota to Cosmetic Serum Containing Prebiotics: Results From A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…GOS treatment was expected to induce higher diversity than the serum base treatment because GOS as a prebiotic enhances environmental diversity of the skin microbes. Prebiotics are "fertilizers" or "foods" with components that selectively promote the growth of these essential microorganisms, thereby potentially improving the host health [25]. S. aureus was the most common species found on the skin of the subjects, as shown in Figure S3 and 5, and has been recognized as a crucial cause of skin infection [26].…”