Prebiotics - A Review

Abstract

Nutraceuticals and functional foods have become an important tool for consumers to manage their health and wellness. Pre-, pro-, and synbiotics are a part of this group of products shown to have properties that can modulate gastrointestinal problems and improve general health and well being. Prebiotics are polysaccharides that can withstand acidic and enzymatic digestion in the small intestine and can be utilized by probiotics, and gut microflora, in the large intestine for their growth and activities that benefit the host's health, e.g., by enhancing the immunity and mineral absorption, preventing colon cancer and other gastrointestinal diseases, and lowering cholesterol. Prebiotics, e.g., inulin, oligofructose, oligolactose, and lactulose, occur naturally in many plants, or may be synthesized from starch or other carbohydrates using appropriate enzymes. A number of plants from southern Thailand, e.g., palm fruit (Borrassus flabellifer L.), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.), young coconut (Cocos nucifera Linn.), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.), jampadah (Artocarpus integer Merr.), and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus Moench.) contain a considerable amount of polysaccharides that have been shown to have prebiotic properties. Prebiotics may be used as ingredients in functional foods, or may be presented as nutraceuticals in the form of capsules, tablets or powder, sometimes together with probiotic cultures.