Prebiotics are non-digestable food ingredients, made of carbohydrates targeting human colonic microflora. In the present study, the prebiotic potential of oligofructose (OF) and polydextrose (PD) in mixed sweetener (MS) in cake was investigated in healthy male volunteers. MS included PD (40.9 %) and OF (20%). Aim of this study was to investigate the tolerable amount of MS and to evaluate the prebiotic effects of MS ingestion. This study was conducted in two steps. In the first step of the study, gastrointestinal system symptoms of the volunteers were examined during four weeks and the tolerable amount of MS was detected. In the second step the prebiotic effects of tolerable dosage of MS (12 g/d) ingestion was investigated. At the end of the placebo and test period, faecal samples were analysed. Flatus was more frequent and intense in volunteers consuming MS48 than the other groups and MS ingestion affected fecal weight in all groups. MS ingestion increased the amount of Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and total anaerobes (except for Clostridium) and decreased all aerobes. However these changes were not statistically significant (p>0.05). MS consumption decreased the amount of all aerobes, but only the reduction in the number of Staphylococcus was statistically significant compared to placebo period (p<0.01). As a result, 12g/d consumption of MS generated prebiotic effects in colon of healthy volunteers.
Keywords: Functional foods, prebiotic effects, bifidobacteria