Prebiotic compounds from agro ‐industrial by‐products

KEY FINDINGSAgro ‐industrial byproducts are an abundant raw material for prebiotic obtention. The main agro‐industrial byproducts studied are fruit peels, cereal byproducts and wood biomass. These byproducts have been characterized for their prebiotic properties with promising results.SUMMARYGut homeostasis is important to maintain the host health. Probiotics are compounds that enhance the human health through the stimulation of the growth of beneficial bacteria. Agro ‐ industrial byproducts are raw materials rich in polysaccharides with prebiotic properties. AbstractPrebiotics are nondigestible food components that have an impact on gut microbiota composition and activity, which in turn results in the improvement of health conditions. Nowadays, the production of prebiotics from agro ‐industrial by‐products is under investigation. In this regard, polysaccharides are usually found in these sources and their potential use as prebiotics has been studied recently since these compounds act as substrates for the human gut microbiota, and they have the potential to modulate its com position through many mechanisms. Additionally, the use of agricultural by‐products is advantageous because it is a cheap and abundantly available material. This review focuses on the recent scientific literature regarding the prebiotic properties of polysaccharides from agro‐industrial by‐pro ducts.Practical applicationsCurrently, the maintenance of gut homeostasis is a target for the imp...
Source: Journal of Food Biochemistry - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research