Feruloylated and nonferuloylated arabino-oligosaccharides from sugar beet pectin selectively stimulate the growth of Bifidobacterium spp. in human fecal in vitro fermentations

J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Jun 22;59(12):6511-9. doi: 10.1021/jf200996h. Epub 2011 May 25.

Abstract

The side chains of the rhamnogalacturonan I fraction in sugar beet pectin are particularly rich in arabinan moieties, which may be substituted with feruloyl groups. In this work the arabinan-rich fraction resulting from sugar beet pulp based pectin production was separated by Amberlite XAD hydrophobic interaction and membrane separation into four fractions based on feruloyl substitution and arabino-oligosaccharide chain length: short-chain (DP 2-10) and long-chain (DP 7-14) feruloylated and nonferuloylated arabino-oligosaccharides, respectively. HPAEC, SEC, and MALDI-TOF/TOF analyses of the fractions confirmed the presence of singly and doubly substituted feruloylated arabino-oligosaccharides in the feruloyl-substituted fractions. In vitro microbial fermentation by human fecal samples (n = 6 healthy human volunteers) showed a selective stimulation of bifidobacteria by both the feruloylated and the nonferuloylated long-chain arabino-oligosaccharides to the same extent as the prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides control. None of the fractions stimulated the growth of the potential pathogen Clostridium difficile in monocultures. This work provides a first report on the separation of potentially bioactive feruloylated arabino-oligosaccharides from sugar beet pulp and an initial indication of the potentially larger bifidogenic effect of relatively long-chain arabino-oligosaccharides as opposed to short-chain arabino-oligosaccharides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabinose / chemistry
  • Arabinose / metabolism
  • Beta vulgaris / chemistry*
  • Bifidobacterium / growth & development*
  • Bifidobacterium / metabolism*
  • Feces / microbiology*
  • Fermentation
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Intestines / microbiology*
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Structure
  • Oligosaccharides / chemistry
  • Oligosaccharides / isolation & purification
  • Oligosaccharides / metabolism*
  • Pectins / chemistry*
  • Pectins / metabolism
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / metabolism*
  • Prebiotics / analysis

Substances

  • Oligosaccharides
  • Plant Extracts
  • Prebiotics
  • Pectins
  • Arabinose