The tartaric acid-modified enzyme-resistant dextrin from potato starch as potential prebiotic

Enzyme-resistant dextrin, obtained as a result of heating potato starch with tartaric acid, was tested as the carbon source for selected strains of probiotic bacteria and also bacteria isolated from feces of healthy 30-year old men volunteers. The dynamics of growth of bacterial monocultures in broth containing tartaric acid (TA)-modified dextrin was estimated. It was also investigated whether probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria cultured with intestinal bacteria in the presence of resistant dextrin would be able to dominate the intestinal isolates. Prebiotic fermentation of resistant dextrin was analyzed using prebiotic index (PI). Fermentation products were determined by HPLC. It was shown that all of the tested bacteria were able to grow and utilize TA-modified dextrin as a source of carbon, albeit to varying degrees. In co-cultures of intestinal and probiotic bacteria, the environment was found to be dominated by the probiotic strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, which is a beneficial effect.

► In co-cultures the environment was dominated by the probiotic strains.
► At 168 h of incubation lactobacilli and bifidobacteria were highly viable.
► Probiotic bacteria amounted to over 44% of the whole population.
► PI for TA-dextrin was higher than that reported for inulin and oligosaccharides.
► TA-dextrin may act as a prebiotic substance.