PREBIOTIC EFFECT OF FRUCTANS FROM AGAVE, DASYLIRION AND NOPAL

M.G. López, J.E. Urías-Silvas
Inulins are a type of fructan that possess mainly (2–1) linkage that escape to the action of digestive enzymes, therefore they reach the large bowel and serve as fermentative substrates to the colonic microflora. Previous reports indicate that fructans selectively stimulate the growth and activity of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the gut, and therefore, inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Based on the well-known inulin health related benefits, there is a great interest on the health properties of other type of fructans such agavins from Agave, Dasylirion and Nopal. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of fructans from Agaves, Dasylirion and Nopal on the growth of Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus casei in MRS broth; many commercial inulins were used as control. Absorbance at 595 nm and pH were determined. On the other hand, the short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) generated from their metabolic action were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). From these measurements, we observe that most fructans from Agave species and Dasylirion stimulated the growth of both bacteria more efficiently than Nopal fructans and commercial inulins. The quantitative levels of acetic, propionic and butyric acids observed by GC-MS as a result of fructan fermentation are probably closely related to the degree of polymerization (DP) differences among fructans from Agave, Dasylirion and Nopal. The bifidogenic effect of Agave, Dasylirion and Nopal fructans has been proved in this investigation.
López, M.G. and Urías-Silvas, J.E. (2007). PREBIOTIC EFFECT OF FRUCTANS FROM AGAVE, DASYLIRION AND NOPAL. Acta Hortic. 744, 397-404
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.744.45
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.744.45
Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus casei, pH, bifidogenic effect, inulins, agavins, fatty acids, GC-MS
English

Acta Horticulturae