Preparation of prebiotics by lactose-malic acid and lactose-citric acid reaction

Abstract

Prebiotics are indigestible food components that serve as nutrients for bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the colon. Dietary fiber and oligosaccharides are typical prebiotics, therefore, prebiotics were prepared in our experiments by reacting lactose with malic acid and citric acid at the right concentration and for the right length of time at the optimal temperature. The ideal parameters of the reaction were determined, as well as the consumption of the starting materials and the increase in the concentration of the final product, and the total sugar content of the hydrolyzed prebiotic after hydrochloric acid hydrolysis. In vitro experiments have shown that the final product prepared by us is resistant to carbohydrate degrading enzymes (which is a basic requirement for a prebiotic) and thus can serve as a nutrient for the probiotic bacteria living in the colon.