Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
The actual use of the word ''prebiotic'' is credited to Gibson and
Roberfroid (1995), and this word is now widely used to include oligo-
saccharides, polysaccharides, inulin, lactulose, lactitol, glucans, resistant
starches and many dietary fibres. The word ''prebiotic'' relates to ''pro-
biotics'', which are live microbial food ingredients, such as lactobacilli
and bifidobacteria, that are consumed with the aim of supplementing the
intestinal microbiota and improving health. The development of prebio-
tics in Europe did not occur until the early 1990s, with the start of inulin
and fructo-oligosaccharide production in Belgium and later the develop-
ment of galacto-oligosaccharide production in Holland and the research
on gluco-oligosaccharides in Toulouse. Meiji (Japan) also formed alli-
ances with Beghin Say in France and with Coors in the USA to produce
fructo-oligosaccharides. However, European researchers have dominated
thescientificliteratureonprebiotics since then, and the European food
industry has very much claimed the ''prebiotic concept'' in recent years.
Other than the development of fructo-oligosaccharide production in
Korea and in Taiwan, there has been little development outside Europe
and Japan. However, companies in a number of countries, including
Australia, produce galacto-oligosaccharides in-house primarily for infant
milk formula markets. The commercial development of the prebiotic
carbohydrate market is shown in Table 5.2.
Table 5.2.
The Commercial Evolution of Different Classes of Prebiotic
Carbohydrates
Prebiotic Compound
Year*
Lactulose
1953
Fructo-oligosaccharides
1983
Soy-oligosaccharides
1983
Galacto-oligosaccharides
1985
Lactitol
1987
Inulin
1990
Lacto-sucrose
1993
Xylo-oligosaccharides
1994
Resistant starches
1996
-glucans
1998
Cereal oligosaccharides
1998
Polysaccharides
1998
Dietary fibres
1999
*estimated first year of commercial production with a prebiotic claim.
