Prebiotics: Trends in food, health and technological applications

Publication date: Available online 5 September 2019Source: Trends in Food Science & TechnologyAuthor(s): David de Paulo Farias, Fábio Fernandes de Araújo, Iramaia Angélica Neri-Numa, Glaucia Maria PastoreAbstractBackgroundCurrently, there is a growing interest in the identification of new molecules that promote health and exhibit potential for technological applications. Prebiotics are functional ingredients naturally occurring in some plant and animal foods that have received considerable attention from the pharmaceutical and food industries due to their positive health effects. With an increasing demand, it is necessary to develop strategies that aim to increase the production of prebiotics in order to meet the needs of the consumer market.Scope and approach:This review aims to emphasize the potential of innovation and the importance of prebiotics (non-digestible carbohydrates) as health promoters and their use as an ingredient for food elaboration, and to discuss the use of microorganisms and enzymes as strategies to prepare them.Key findings and conclusions:The intake of prebiotics plays an important role in modulating the intestinal microbiota, increasing the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and reducing the risk of development of various diseases such as colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity, among other disorders. The use of these compounds can improve the nutritional, physical-chemical, and sensory characteristics...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research