Fructooligosaccharide: Metabolism through Gut Microbiota and Prebiotic Effect

This review aims to provide the accurate information with useful application of Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) for health care specialists including dietician and physician, food adviser and user.Therefore, we described on metabolism through gut microbiota, physiological functions including prebiotic effect and accelerating defecation, practical application and suggestions on FOS.FOS is a mixture of oligosaccharides what one to three molecules of fructose are bound straightly to the fructose residue of sucrose with β-1,2 linkage.FOS which is produced industrially from sucrose using enzymes from Aspergillus niger, is widely used in processed foods with claimed health benefits.But, FOS occurs naturally in foodstuffs including edible burdock, onion and garlic, which have long been part of the human diet.Therefore, eating FOS can be considered a safe food material.FOS ingested by healthy human subjects, does not elevate the blood glucose and insulin levels, because it is not digested by enzymes in the small intestine.However, FOS is metabolized by gut microbiota to short chain fatty acids, which acidify the environment in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane.The repeated ingestion of FOS leads to good intestinal microflora with a high proportion of Bifidobacterium and a low proportion of putrefactive microbiota.This brings about beneficial health effects such as facilitating defecation, repressing pathogenic bacteria, reducing hepatic responsibility from detoxification, decreasing decomposing matter and improving stool condition.FOS should be contributed to suppress cancer and senescence and to improve the immune response through good intestinal microflora.Thus, FOS can promote health by preventing metabolic syndrome and act as prebiotics to help beneficial microbiota proliferate.