Prebiotic effect of daily dietary polyphenols and oligosaccharides on lactobacillus species

Prebiotics refer to compounds metabolized by gut probiotics, offering advantages to human health. Many polyphenols and oligosaccharides exhibit prebiotic effects, potentially contributing to the health-promoting effects in the gut. The present study selected daily dietary components, including raw turmeric, varieties of coffee, guar gum, gum acacia, and solid and liquid jaggery, proven to promote health according to past literature. To understand their effects on the gut microbiome, particularly lactobacilli, in vitro experiments were performed. Various concentrations of raw turmeric extract (0.3%), chicory powder (3%), guar gum (0.5%), gum acacia (0.5%), solid jaggery (2%), and liquid jaggery (5%) were selected as additives to growth medium based on their ability to increase the cell count of lactobacilli strains as compared to the growth medium without any additive. Further experiments with the selected concentrations of additives identified 0.5% gum acacia as the optimal oligosaccharide for Lactobacillus co-culture, showing a 96.22% survival rate at pH 2.0, 97.48% survival rate with 2% bile salt, autoaggregation value of 94%, 27.07% radical scavenging activity, and enhanced antimicrobial activity against S.aureus and E.coli. These findings are highly promising compared to standard inulin, suggesting the potential of gum acacia as a valuable prebiotic for promoting gut health.