12 INGREDIENTS & ADDITIVES
Prebiotics: chicory inulin and
oligofructose ready to boom
Traditionally in dairy products, in combination
attempt to improve host health” (Gibson & Roberfroid,
or not with probiotics, prebiotics have found
1995).
Many non-digestible substances that are susceptible
their way into the broad nutritional and
to be fermented in the large intestine claim that they are
healthy food market. Caroline Mulkowski
prebiotic.
reports.
However, to date, only few of them have
demonstrated that they are selectively fermented by the
he prebiotic market has to be seen in its resident beneficial microflora with the associated health
T
broad context, the area of digestive health. benefits.
However, some insoluble fibres have According to a review from Gibson, only few
significant effects on the intestinal transit, ingredients are able to fulfill the conditions to be
and thereby indirectly improving our intestinal system, considered as true prebiotics:
they are not considered as health improving fibres, as
p The substance must be neither hydrolysed, nor
their effect is purely physical.
absorbed in the upper part of the gastrointestinal
Healthy (prebiotic) fibres need to stimulate particular
tract.
beneficial species in order to improve the health and
p It must be selectively fermented by one or a limited
wellbeing of its host.
number of potentially beneficial bacteria in the colon.
The market of gut health is dominated by two
p It must preferably induce effects that are beneficial to
substances: probiotics and prebiotics. This market has
the host health by modification of the composition of
been growing gradually between 2001 and 2004, but has
the colonic microbiota
seen an explosive growth between 2005 and today. Gut
health promoting substances are now found in dairy, Chicory fructans (inulin, oligofructose) are one of the
beverages, baked goods, cereals, ice cream, snacks and true prebiotic substances (namely, FOS and inulin, GOS
savoury products. and lactulose): “Together, the evidence available today
With a number one position among the top five both from in vitro and in vivo experiments supports the
health claims in most regions, it is the biggest growth classification of inulin and oligofructose as prebiotic,
area within the healthy food sector (Fig. 1). The top since they fulfil all three criteria” (Gibson et al, 2004).
five health claims in the food market include digestive A similar conclusion can be found in other sources
health, cardiovascular health, bone health, immune such as a scientific report of the French Food Safety
system and brain and nervous system. Agency on prebiotics where only inulin and FOS are
The concept of prebiotic has been defined for the recognised as true prebiotics whereas several other
first time in 1995 as: “Non-digestible food ingredients substances, such as resistant dextrins are presented as
that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating candidates only (AFSSA, 2005).
the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of The prebiotic effect of chicory inulin is
bacterial species already resident in the colon, and thus well-documented through more than 50 clinical studies
published in well-know and peer-reviewed journals.
Moreover this effect has been demonstrated in various
populations: from infants to elderly and with European,
Asian and American volunteers.
The scientific data support a daily dose of 5g for a
significant prebiotic effect of chicory inulin oligofructose
(Rao, 2001; Bouhnik et al, 2007; Kolida et al, 2007). This
dose has been validated by official statements in several
countries such as France, the Netherlands, Germany,
Malaysia, Brazil, etc
The key mechanism in the prebiotic effect of chicory
ingredients is their complete fermentation in the large
intestine
Several non-starch polysaccharides are able to
stimulate overall colonic growth by being used as
Fig. 1. Product launches with functional claims. substrate by many micro-organisms in the colon.
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