THE BIFIDOGENIC NATURE OF CHICORY INULIN AND ITS HYDROLYSIS PRODUCTS

Research data on the bifidogenic effect of beta(2-1)fructans, which al present are commercialized in the U.S., Japan and Europe as food ingr edients, are presented. These food ingredients originate from two diff erent sources. Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides are synthesized fro m sucrose and are composed of GF(n) [n beta(2-1) linked fructose moiet ies bound to a glucose molecule; 2 less than or equal to n less than o r equal to 4]. The longer chain length molecule inulin is extracted wi th hot water from chicory roots (Cichorium intybus) and is also compos ed of GF(n) molecules (with 2 < n < 60). Oligofructose is a partial hy drolysate of inulin and is composed of GF(n) and F-m molecules (n and m indicate the number of fructose moieties with 2 less than or equal t o n, m less than or equal to 7). All types of beta(2-1l)fructans are w ell fermented by intestinal bacteria. For a given chain length, there is no difference in fermentation rate between GF(n)- and F-m-type beta -fructans. In vitro fermentation of inulin revealed that molecules wit h a chain length (degree of polymerization or DP) > 10 are fermented o n average half as quickly as molecules with a DP < 10. All beta(2-1)fr uctans are bifidogenic and classified as biobiotics.