Potential of prebiotics as functional foods – a review

Abstract

Purpose

Optimum balance of intestinal microbiota can be modulated by such dietary means as probiotics and prebiotics. Combination of probiotics and prebiotics could improve the survivality of probiotic candidate due to availability of substrate for its fermentation and confer greater advantages to the host. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of prebiotics as functional foods.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores the selection criteria for prebiotic, their postulated health benefits and safety aspects for their inclusion in infant formula. Potentiality of prebiotics for their exploitation as functional foods has also been delineated.

Findings

Probiotics, when applied in conjugation with prebiotics give rise to another possibility in microflora management technique known as synbiotics, which could improve the survivality of probiotic candidate and confer greater advantages to the host. Inclusion of prebiotics like fructo‐oligosaccharide and galacto‐oligosaccharide as infant formula ingredients is suggested. Health benefit properties of prebiotics suggest their application as functional foods.

Originality/value

Ingestion of cultured milk products containing probiotic cultures and prebiotics may provide health benefits in terms of colonization and normalization of intestinal flora and could be recommended for consumption as functional foods.

Citation

Sarkar, S. (2007), "Potential of prebiotics as functional foods – a review", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 168-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/00346650710749062