Galactooligosaccharide health benefit

Galactooligosaccharides are prebiotic substances selectively fermented by the beneficial member of the colonic microflora contributing to the health of the host.

Prebiotic evaluation of a novel galactooligosaccharide mixture produced by the enzymatic activity of Bifidobacterium bifidum NCIMB 41171, in healthy humans: a randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled intervention study.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar; Depeint F, Tzortzis G, Vulevic J, I'anson K, Gibson GR. School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, and the Institute of Food Research, Colney, Norwich, United Kingdom.
We assessed the prebiotic potential of a novel galactooligosaccharide produced through the action of beta-galactosidases, originating from a probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum strain, against a galactooligosaccharide produced through the action of an industrial beta-galactosidase and a placebo. Fifty-nine healthy human volunteers participated in this study. Initially, the effect of the matrix on the prebiotic properties of a commercially available galactooligosaccharide (7 g/d) was assessed during 7-d treatment periods with a 7-d washout period in between. During the second phase, 30 volunteers were assigned to a sequence of treatments (7 d) differing in the amount of the novel galactooligosaccharide (0, 3.6, or 7 g/d). Addition of the novel galactooligosaccharide mixture significantly increased the bifidobacterial population ratio compared with the placebo, whereas 7 g/d of the novel galactooligosaccharide significantly increased the bifidobacterial ratio compared with the commercial galactooligosaccharide. Moreover, a significant relation between the bifidobacteria proportion and the novel galactooligosaccharide dose (0, 3.6, and 7 g/d) was observed. This relation was similar to the effect of the novel galactooligosaccharide on the prebiotic index of each dose. This study showed that galactooligosaccharide mixtures produced with different beta-galactosidases show different prebiotic properties and that, by using enzymes originating from bifidobacterial species, an increase in the bifidogenic properties of the prebiotic product is achievable.

Introducing Capillary Electrophoresis with Laser-Induced Fluorescence (CE-LIF) as a Potential Analysis and Quantification Tool for Galactooligosaccharides Extracted from Complex Food Matrices.
J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Feb 10. Albrecht S, Schols HA, Klarenbeek B, Voragen AG, Gruppen H. Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Wageningen University, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD Wageningen, The Netherlands.
The analysis and quantification of galactooligosaccharides from food matrices demands both a reproducible extraction method as well as a sensitive and accurate analytical method. Three typical matrices, namely, infant formula, fruit juice, and a maltodextrin-rich preparation, to which a commercial galactooligosaccharide mixture was added in a product concentration range from 1.25 to 30%, served as model substrates. Solid-phase extraction on graphitized carbon material upon enzymatic amyloglucosidase pretreatment enabled a good recovery and a selective purification of the different galactooligosaccharide structures from the exceeding amounts of particularly lactose and maltodextrins. With the implementation of capillary electrophoresis in combination with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detection, a new possibility facilitating a sensitive qualitative and quantitative determination of the galactooligosaccharide contents in the different food matrices is outlined. Simultaneous monitoring and quantifying prebiotic oligosaccharides embedded in food matrices presents a promising and important step toward an efficient monitoring of individual oligosaccharides and is of interest for research areas dealing with small quantities of oligosaccharides embedded in complex matrices, e.g., body liquids.