Define Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides (NDO)
Among the various food components, the best prebiotic effects seen to be exerted by the NDOs. They are oligomeric carbohydrates, which a n resistant to hydrolysis by intestinal digestive enzymes but NDOs can be metabolized by colonic bacteria. What will be the products of bacterial fermentation? Well, these are:
- Short chain carboxylic acids (short chain fatty acids),
- Gases; and
- Organisms also increase metabolic energy, growth and proliferation.