Page 30 - FoodFocusThailand No.200 November 2022

SPECIAL FOCUS

ดััดัแปลงจาก (Probiotic Drinks in India, 2020) และ www.thelifestyledietitian.com.au
Adapted from ‘Probiotic Drinks in India, 2020’ and www.thelifestyledietitian.com.au

studies but no regulatory approvals, including raffinose, acids, which are good for the intestines. In addition, the
neoagarooligosaccharides (NAOs), and epilactose. The final polysaccharides extracted from okra are found to increase
category is the new prebiotic candidates, which usually are the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, which may associate
not a subset of carbohydrate groups but have gut health- with the reduction of obesity risks. Furthermore, the pectin
enhancing properties. To illustrate, these prebiotics are fibers in typical Thai fruit, such as raw papaya, can promote
polyphenols, human milk oligosaccharides, polyunsaturated the growth of Coprobacillus, a microbe that produces butyric
fatty acids, proteins, or peptides. and propionic acids, while the polyphenols extracted from
According to the Global Market Insights, the 2024 market guava can increase the population of beneficial gut
value of the prebiotics used as functional ingredients in food microbiota. For instance, Catenibacterium is the bacteria,
and beverage products is projected to reach as high as USD which can also produce acetic and butyric acids, as well as
8.5 billion. A growing consumer awareness of the benefits propionic acid-producing bacteria, such as Roseburia,
of prebiotics is leading to commercial interest in the isolation Rumminoccocus, and Blautia, which are associated with the
and development of prebiotic compounds with gut health inhibitory properties against the colon cancer cell HT-29. On
potential from novel and natural sources. These prebiotic top of that, cocoa polyphenols can boost the presence of
substances need to be tested in vitro for their consistency probiotics, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and
in human gastrointestinal digestion and gut health model. In can inhibit the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, such as
addition, the animal and clinical tests should be conducted Clostridium. They can also enhance the production of short-
in vivo to ensure their efficiency as well. The findings facilitate chain fatty acids and metabolites associated with memory
a proper selection of suitable prebiotics for effective improvement, blood pressure relief, and inflammation
application in food products. A study of prebiotic properties reduction.
in natural extracts reveals that fucoidan, a type of Apart from their application as functional ingredients for
polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds, cannot be gut microbiome modulation, prebiotics can improve sensory
digested by upper gastrointestinal enzymes and can passed characteristics of food and beverage products. According to
to the large intestine, where it can be fermented by gut the Mintel Global New Product Database (2022), several
microbiota. As a result, it enhances the growth of Bacteroides health benefits and quality-enhancing properties are linked
ovatus, a type of microbe that can produce carbohydrate- with the application of prebiotics in various foods and
active enzymes to degrade diverse plant polysaccharides. beverages. For instance, beta-glucan and fiber from wheat
This enables the gut microbiome to produce short-chain fatty bran and oat bran are used as fat and sugar substitutes in

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