Prebiotics are compounds in food that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. The most common example is in the gastrointestinal tract, where prebiotics can alter the composition of organisms in the gut microbiome.

The definition of prebiotics and the food ingredients that can fall under this classification, has evolved since its first definition in 1995.In its earliest definition, the term prebiotics was used to refer to non-digestible food ingredients that were beneficial to the host through their selective stimulation of specific bacteria within the colon. As a result of research suggesting that prebiotics could impact microorganisms outside of the colon, in 2016 the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) produced the following Definition of prebiotics: a substrate that is selectively used by a host microorganism to produce a health benefit.

Compounds that can be classified as prebiotics must also meet the following criteria:

i)Non-digestible and resistant to breakdown by stomach acid and enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract

ii)Selectively fermented by intestinal microorganisms

iii)Selectively targeting and stimulating the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria

Prebiotics are essentially fiber from plants (fruits, vegetables or whole grains).They transit through the stomach and small intestines undigested.

They make their way to intact to the colon, where they will be bacterially fermented together with the unabsorbed nutrients.

Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium more likely to benefit from prebiotics.

Examples of prebiotics

Fructooligosaccharides (such as inulin and its derivatives).

Other oligosaccharides such as raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose.

Polysaccharides (such as cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin)

Soybeans oligosaccharides, etc.

Best Regards
Rebecca Pearson
Editorial Manager