Oligosaccharides Profile and Prebiotic Potential of Gembolo Tuber (Dioscorea bulbifera)

Abstract

Indonesia has many potential tubers that not yet utilized, whereas the tubers can be utilized in functional food. Dioscorea bulbifera contains oligosaccharides which can be used as functional food prebiotics based. This research aim was to analyze the content of oligosaccharides from Dioscorea bulbifera tuber flour and its prebiotics potential. The extraction of oligosaccharides from Dioscorea bulbifera flour was done using ethanol 70% and analyze the content of oligosaccharides using HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography). The inoculum of colonic microbial used from volunteer infants aged less than 6 months and only consume breast milk. The prebiotic index was determined by enumerating the growth of total bacteria, microbial probiotics (Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus) and microbial pathogens (Bacteroids and Clostridium) in anaerobic conditions at 0, 24 and 48 hours. The results showed that oligosaccharides profile of Dioscorea bulbifera flour were Inulin 0.76; Raffinose 0.07; and Lactulose 0.09% b/v. The prebiotics index value of oligosaccharide of extracts of Dioscorea bulbifera flour at 48th hour is 1.2045. It can be concluded that the oligosaccharide from Dioscorea bulbifera tuber flour has potential as a prebiotic.