The impact of prebiotic oligosaccharides on health with a focus on appetite
and body weight
H. Alexiou, BENEO-Group, Aandorenstraat 1, 3300 Tienen, Belgium.
Abstract
Inulin and oligofructose are the best- documented prebiotics. Prebiotic are non-digestible
food ingredients that beneficially affect host health by selectively stimulating the growth
and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon. Bifidobacteria and
lactobacilli counts are primary biomarkers for prebiotics as they have been associated with a
gut flora of healthy organisms or vice versa have never been associated with increased
disease risk. Most evidence for selectively stimulating bifidobacteria and lactobacilli exists for
inulin-type fructans. By interacting with the gut ecosystem, inulin and oligofructose influence
a number of physiological functions, and the health benefits of these ingredients were
demonstrated to extend outside the strict environment of the gut. In fact, much attention has
recently been focused on their potential health benefits towards weight management.
Several animal studies have shown that inulin and oligofructose are able to modulate the
expression (and release) of gastrointestinal hormones involved in appetite regulation (e.g.
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY)). In different animal models
(normal as well as obese) it was demonstrated that the addition of inulin-type fructans
significantly lowered energy intake which was accompanied by a lower body weight and
adipose tissue gain (in high-fat diet models), in both short- and long-term investigations [1-5].
In parallel, since recent research has suggested a role for the gut microflora in energy
homeostasis, experimental data have investigated the potential role of prebiotics in this
context. Ingestion of a high-fat diet by mice was associated with changes in the microflora
composition (e.g. decreased bifidobacteria), higher circulating LPS levels, and hence, was
responsible for inducing an inflammatory state, as well as alterations of glucose metabolism
and weight gain [6]. In this model, the addition of oligofructose suppressed most of the
metabolic alterations caused by the high-fat diet, and these effects were linked to a
restoration of bifidobacteria levels [7]. In humans, the effects of prebiotics on appetite and
energy intake were confirmed in a placebo-controlled pilot intervention involving healthy
volunteers. Oligofructose supplementation resulted in increased satiety, and reduced hunger
and prospective food consumption, leading to a lower total energy intake during the day [8].
Ultimately, adolescents receiving oligofructose-enriched inulin (Orafti®Synergy1) during 1
year had a lower body weight and body fat mass, as well as an appropriate body mass index
(BMI) compared to the control group [9].
In conclusion, the use of inulin and oligofructose as functional food ingredients offers
interesting perspectives in weight management. Inulin and oligofructose are first of all
frequently used in a wide range of food products for their technological properties allowing
them to efficiently replace fat and/or sugar. In addition, recent findings give evidence of their
ability to modulate blood levels of gut hormones involved in appetite regulation, and their
potential benefits in managing excessive food intake and body weight.
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