FOS

[Guest guest]

IM RESENDING THIS BECAUSE I DONT KNOW IF ANYONE RECEIVED IT OR NOT..........

jEANA L.

[Guest guest]

THANKS FOR THE INFO------------I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU CAN

USE FOS AS A SWEETENER---IS THAT TRUE? DO YOU JUST OPEN THE CAPSULES AND ADD

IT TO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SWEETEN? JEANA L.

[Guest guest]

> Anyone here use FOS? I've just ordered something called

> Eliminex, form chicory root, which was touted as a superb

> supplement for feeding good bacteria, restoring probiotic levels

and

> controlling candida, and when it arrived it was a giant tub of FOS!

Is

> this a good thing or not....?

Ann,

I have been using it, just run out. I have the one in liquid form

from Biocare, Fructolite. FOS are brilliant for creating a better

environment in your gut to enable friendly bacteria to flourish.

Might give you wind though!

Debs

[Guest guest]

> FOS are brilliant for creating a better

> environment in your gut to enable friendly bacteria to flourish.

Oh good!! I remembered soemone here mentioning it, but wasn't

sure if they were calling it names or not - guess not!!

> Might give you wind though!

Oh goody.....! :-/

If you need more and are getting it mail-order, I got mine

(Lamberts', powdered form, but they do all sorts) from this place....

http://www.onlinehealthshop.co.uk/

They're pretty cheap, my order's here within 48 hours, and they

give 10 - 25% of their profits to ME research. Worth knowing. I'm

about to order some grapefruit seed extract from them - not been

able to get it locally. Their caprylic acid's pretty cheap as well!!

An

[Guest guest]

I used to think FOS was great too. After more research I learned that it is one of the worst things for Candida. It promotes yeast/bacteria growth in the gut. If you want to learn more, check out this web address and click on the FOS article on the left side of the page. The site is: http://www.natren.com/ln_learnnowfr.html. or click here:

FOS Article

Here is an excerpt:

o FOS is manufactured by chemical synthesis. The ingredient is, therefore, not natural, but a chemical additive and may pose toxicological dangers.

o FOS is a sugar derivative, therefore, those with a yeast infection should avoid it.

o The stability of FOS is poor. The industrial production of purified FOS is a problem and still in the developmental stage.

o FOS is inert in the mouth and small intestine because it is not digestible (similar to Olestra). It is digested in the colon by the bacteria and may, therefore, change the metabolic activity of the colon, resulting in abnormal functions.

o FOS stimulates the growth of Klebsiella and possibly other pathogenic organisms. In one study, Klebsiella has been associated with the autoimmune disease Ankylosing Spondylitis.

o FOS is known to be species as well as strain specific. In other words, not all beneficial bacteria like the FOS diet.

[Guest guest]

Yes it does have the FOS article.

Go to http://www.natren.com/ln_learnnowfr.html

Then scroll down left side of page and click on the FOS article under the "Healthy Living" section titled "Beware of Probiotics with FOS". The article explains the dangers of FOS in Probiotics and in any food or as a supplement.

[Guest guest]

Here's the entire FOS article. It's written by a person that produces Probiotics, so it talks from the point of view of adding to Probiotics, but it clearly outlines the dangers of FOS in general being added to any product or used alone as a supplement.

Beware when the vitamin/supplement industry comes out promoting something as a panacea. It happens all the time(Bee Pollen, Soy, Shark Cartilage,,,,etc...). Here's the article:

BEWARE OF PROBIOTICS WITH FOS!

Fructooligosaccharides, more commonly known as FOS, is a class of simple carbohydrates found naturally in certain plants, such as Jerusalem artichokes, onions, and bananas. Virtually, all of the FOS added to Probiotic products in the United States is chemically manufactured. A Japanese process is utilized in turning white, bleached cane sugar, by the action of a fungal enzyme, into FOS—a sugar polymer that our bodies cannot digest.

FOS, known in Japan as Meioligo and in scientific terms as neosugar, is used as a sweetening agent, flavor enhancer, bulking agent, and humectant. As a low-calorie sucrose-replacement, FOS is used in cookies, cakes, breads, candies, dairy products, and some beverages. FOS is also added to some Japanese health foods to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract

In 1990, Coors Biotech, in an effort to introduce FOS into the food chain of the United States, prepared a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) petition to include FOS as a human food ingredient. As several years of FOS-safe food sales are needed before this approval, the Probiotic market was chosen as an easy, non-threatening way to get the product "out there." The health food industry became an ideal test market.

The addition of FOS in Probiotic products is becoming a common practice. Many Probiotic manufacturers claim FOS is beneficial in that it feeds the friendly bacteria. Those who manufacture high-quality Probiotics, however, do not believe in using FOS. Instead, their products require one important component—the valuable supernatant, which naturally and specifically provides food for the bacteria.

Prudent Probiotic manufacturers are concerned with the safety issue of FOS. According to a study conducted by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO), the consumption of FOS may cause intestinal problems, such as bloating, abdominal pain, and copious amounts of gas.

There are a number of additional reasons why some manufacturers of high-quality Probiotics do not add FOS to their products. They are:

o FOS is manufactured by chemical synthesis. The ingredient is, therefore, not natural, but a chemical additive and may pose toxicological dangers.

o FOS is a sugar derivative, therefore, those with a yeast infection should avoid it.

o The stability of FOS is poor. The industrial production of purified FOS is a problem and still in the developmental stage.

o FOS is inert in the mouth and small intestine because it is not digestible (similar to Olestra). It is digested in the colon by the bacteria and may, therefore, change the metabolic activity of the colon, resulting in abnormal functions.

o FOS stimulates the growth of Klebsiella and possibly other pathogenic organisms. In one study, Klebsiella has been associated with the autoimmune disease Ankylosing Spondylitis.

o FOS is known to be species as well as strain specific. In other words, not all beneficial bacteria like the FOS diet.

As always, be an educated consumer when choosing Probiotic products. Read labels. Choose only high-quality products that include the beneficial supernatant, and avoid those that include FOS.

[Guest guest]

That URL does not have an FOS article.

KB

[Guest guest]

,

The first post is from a sales site that discusses the FOS in their

product. I'll follow that with, hopefully, an objective answer ;-).

Please don't hate me for the long post with the full details on FOS.

Basically, they say it is a dietary fiber, however, if I were to

break down the term, I stay away from it anyway. Fructo usually

means sugar and saccharide is too close to saccarine for me, which is

a sugar substitute derived from a sugar basis...Genetic engineering

at it's finest I suppose and a prelude to many other problems..

THE PREBIOTIC COMPONENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

A prebiotic is a nondigestible food ingredient that benefits the host

by selectively stimulating the growth and activity of helpful

bacteria in the colon.

Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) is a nondigestible dietary fiber that

helps to keep the stomach and bowels healthy. It is not digestible by

the stomach. It can only be broken down by the bacteria in the colon.

It promotes health by nourishing and promoting the naturally present,

friendly bacteria of the intestines, such as Bifidobacteria and

Lactobacilli. Because of these properties, FOS is considered to be a

prebiotic.

The type and concentration of FOS selected for an intestinal health

product is very important. There are various sources for FOS, and the

type selected can have a large impact on efficacy. The FOS selected

for Living Health is naturally derived from Chicory Root. This is

vital, as this type of FOS provides one of the highest concentrations

of inulin (the active component of FOS) and has a long fermentable

chain length. This long chain means it will be used by the bacteria

in the colon and will not cause indigestion, gas, or bloating—

symptoms common to other FOS types, selected incorrectly for other

probiotic products, mainly because they are less expensive. Another

component to the success of FOS is its dosage. The concentration

found in Living Health provides a generous serving of FOS per

serving, increasing the likelihood of its success in promoting

intestinal health.*

Fructooligosaccharides - Occurrence, Preparation, and Applications

1. Introduction HOME

In response to an increasing demand from consumer for healthier and

calorie controlled foods, a number of so-called alternative

sweeteners such as palatinose(1,2) and various oligosaccharides

including isomaltooligosaccharides(3-6), soybean-oligo-saccharides

(7), and fructooligosaccharides(8-12) have emerged since 1980s. They

are important primarily because of their functional properties rather

than sweetness. Of all new products introduced so far, microbial

fructooligosaccharides(FOS) from sucrose has attracted special

attention and are attributing to the expansion of sugar market by

several factors. First, the mass production is not complicated.

Second, the sweettaste is much similar to that of sucrose, a

traditional sweetener.

Various oligofructosides or fructans of higher molecular weight have

been produced by the action of transfructosylation activity from many

plants and microorganisms. Depending on the enzyme sources they have

different linkages; for instance, fructosyltransferase derived from

fungi such as Aureobasidium pullulans and Aspergillus niger produce

only 1F-type FOS, while Claviceps purpurea enzymes and asparagus

enzymes produce both 1F- and 6G-type oligofructosides. It is an

accepted opinion that " fructooligosaccharides " is a common name only

for fructose oligomers that are mainly composed of 1-kestose(GF2),

nystose(GF3), and 1F-fructofuranosyl nystose(GF4), in which fructosyl

units(F) are bound at the Beta-2,1 position of sucrose(GF)

respectively, which should be distinguished from other kinds of

fructose oligomers(13-15). However, many authors have

mingled " fructooligosaccgarides " with " fructan " (16-

18), " glucofructosan " (19, 20) and " inulin-typeoligosaccharides " (21).

The authors and some workers have used the

term " fructooligosaccharides " only for [1F(1-Beta -D-fructofuranosyl)

n-1 sucrose; GFn, n=2~10], excluding polyfructans and oligo-

fructosides of different linkages such as neo-kestose[6G(1-Beta-D-

fructofuranosyl sucrose)], 6-kestose [6F(1-Beta-D-fructofuranosyl

sucrose)] and their derivatives. The enzyme source of FOS synthesis

can be divided into two classes; one is plants such as asparagus(22-

27), sugar beet(28), onion(17, 18, 29), Jerusalem artichoke(30-36),

etc.(37-48), the other is bacterial and fungal origins such as

Aspergillus sp.(10, 14, 49-52), Aureobasidium sp.(11, 53-66),

Arthrobacter sp.(67, 68), Fusarium sp.(19, 20, 69, 70), etc.(71-77)

(see Table 1, 2 for details). The nomenclature of FOS-producing

enzymes remains in dispute because some workers still use the

term " Beta-D-fructofuranosidase " , one of the hydrolases numbered as

EC. 3.2.1.26, whereas others designate it as " fructosyltransferase "

concentrating on the nature of transfructosylation of the enzyme, and

classified into EC. 2.4.1.9. The reason why many researchers have

used the name " Beta-D-fructofuranosidase " as FOS-producing enzyme is

probable that transfructosylation activity was originally found from

the side action in the course of invertase preparation when acting on

high concentrations of sucrose(78-80). Authors and some researchers

have preferentially used the name " fructosyltransferase " so as to

distinguish it from hydrolytic enzyme nomenclature(8, 22-28, 37, 81-

83). Production yield of FOS by using plant-originated enzymes is low

and mass production of enzyme is quite limited by seasonal

conditions, therefore, industrial production depends chiefly on

fungal enzymes from either Aureobasidium sp.(11, 12) or Aspergillus

niger(14, 50). In 1984, Meiji Seika Co., in Japan, first succeeded in

commercial production of FOS(commercial name is Neosugar) by

Aspergillus niger enzyme and verified their excellent functional

properties as will be discussed later(14, 15). More recently, Cheil

Foods & Chemicals Co., in Korea, succeeded in industrial production

by using the immobilized cells of Aureobasidium pullulans(11, 12).

Industrial production of FOS made it possible to expand the demand in

sugar markets being widely used in various foodstuffs or feedstuffs,

consequently make it possible to compete with other conventional

sweeteners such as table-top sugar and high fructose corn syrup(84).

Until now, although many articles on FOS synthesis were published,

review article scarcely appeared in the literature since Edelman and

Jefford(33) reviewed biosynthetic pathways of oligo- and

polysaccharides of inulin series from Jerusalem artichoke in 1968.

Moreover, any review article on FOS covering both from plants and

microorganisms has not been published yet.

This review article gives a full details of oligofructosides focusing

mainly on FOS, where the properties of plant and microbial

fructosyltransferase involved in biosynthesis of oligofructosides,

enzyme reaction mechanisms, production methods, their application,

and other important details are described.

2. Occurrence

A series of fructose oligomers and polymers derived from sucrose

occurs in many higher plants as reserve carbohydrates. and Bacon

(28) found transfructosylation activity from the enzyme derived from

the leaves of sugar beet(Betavulgaroreais L.) and led to the

conclusion that in the presence of sucrose the products of transfer

were mainly 1-kestose(1F-Beta-fructosylsucrose) with partly neo-

kestose(6G-Beta-fructosylsucrose). An enzyme which transfers the

terminal fructosyl residue from the trisaccharide to sucrose to

reform a donor molecule was discovered from Jerusalem artichoke

(Helianthus tuberrosus)(30-33, 35). Here, two kinds of enzymes are

involved in FOS biosynthesis; that is, trisaccharide(GF2) was formed

by the action of sucrose:sucrose 1F-fructosyltransferase(SSF) and

then higher oligosaccharides(GFn) were produced by fructan: fructan

1F-fructosyltransferase (FFT)(see enzyme mechanism section for

details). Onions and asparagus are also important sources of

fructosyltransferases(18, 22-27). Shiomi et al.(22-27) extensively

studied on the fructosyltransferase extracted from asparagus roots

(Asparagus officinalis L.). They isolated eleven components of FOS

and also synthesized in vitro. Asparagus oligosaccharides are

produced by cooperative enzymatic reactions with at least three kinds

of fructosyltransferase: e.g. sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase,

6G-fructosyl- transferase and 1F-fructosyltransferase. They further

purified and characterized the individual fructosyltransferases. It

was found that the general properties of which resembled those of

Jerusalem artichoke, but its substrate specificity differed. An

Indian researcher, Satyanarayana(41, 42) have described the

biosynthesis of oligosaccharides and fructans from agave(Agave vera

cruz). He isolated various oligosaccharides(D.P. 3-15), synthesized

in vitro, and proposed a reaction mechanism. Unlike the most of

enzymes, this agave enzyme is capable of synthesizing inulotriose

from inulobiose. The naturally occurring oligosaccharides in Agave

vera cruz consists of 1-kestose, neokestose, 6-kestose, and their

derivatives. These oligosaccharides arise not only by

transfructosylation reactions but by stepwise hydrolysis of the

higher oligosaccharides and fructans catalyzed by inherent hydrolytic

activity of the enzyme.

During the cultivation of several fungi in the sucrose medium, the

synthesis of FOS was observed. When sucrose supply in the medium was

inadequate FOS were utilized as an energy source(12, 19, 77).

Oligosaccharide formation may play double roles in the fermentation

process. One hand it allows the elimination of free fructose which,

when present in high amounts near free glucose, has an unfavorable

effect, by the retarded growth observed when sucrose is substituted

with the mixture of glucose and fructose. On the other hand, the

oligosaccharides serve as a form of glucose storage. This glucose

becomes available when free glucose is exhausted. Three kinds of

mould invertases are capable of transferring fructose residues to

sucrose forming fructose oligomers. Pazur(85) studied

transfructosidation of an enzyme of Aspergillus oryzae. He found two

Beta-2,1 linked tri- and tetrasaccaccharides, and named provisionly 1-

inulobiosyl-D-glucose and 1-inulotriosyl-D-glucose, respectively(they

seems to be 1-kestose and nystose, respectively). Also the action of

enzyme differed from those of other fructosyltransferases in

substrate specificity: it could utilize sucrose as well as raffinose

as a substrate. Action of the Claviceps purpurea enzyme on sucrose

also gives rise to a number of oligofructosides including 1-kestose

and neo-kestose(71). Fusarium oxysporum is an another important

enzyme source functioning transfructosylation activity, which has

been studied by many workers. Maruyama and Onodera(69) isolated two

kinds of enzyme showing transfructosylation activity. Gupta and Bhatia

(19, 20) also studied the biosynthesis of glucofructosan during

cultivation of F. oxyporum in the sucrose medium.

The potential enzymes achieving high yield of FOS production were

found in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. Hidaka et al.(10, 14,

50) studied Aspergillus niger enzymes, by which they fully

characterized this enzyme and virtually developed to an industrial

production of FOS syrup. By using A. niger enzyme, the maximum FOS

conversion reached up to 55-60 %(w/w) based on total sugars. Hayashi

et al.(9, 13) investigated another FOS production process by using

Aureobasidium sp. This enzyme can compete with other industrial FOS-

producing enzymes due to a considerably high enzyme activity. Jung et

al.(8) and et al.(86) also reported on fructosyltransferase

preparation with high activity using a black-yeast, Aureobasidium

pullulans. Balken et al.(87) reported another fructosyltransferase

showing high activity from Aspergillus phoenicis, thereby they

produced FOS in 60% yield. Therefore, this enzyme also has a

potential for application to meet an industrial purpose. It is a

distinctive that this enzyme does not produce 1F-fructofuranosyl

nystose(GF4) and is inhibited not only by glucose but by 1-kestose

and nystose unlike the enzyme of A. pullulans(55). Fujita et al.(67,

68) found transfructosylation activity from Arthobacter enzyme. This

enzyme had broad acceptor specificity such as maltose, isomaltose,

lactose, xylose, etc.: however, 1-kestose or 1F-(1-Beta-D-

fructofuranosyl)n sucrose were not efficient acceptors unlike other

FOS-producing enzymes. More recently, Takeda et al.(76) reported a

new fungal strain, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. This strain has the

ability of selective production of 1-kestose, a major component of

FOS, moreover the production activity was found to be located only

intracellularly unlike other FOS-producing organisms which exhibit

both intra- and extracellular production. It is important to mention

here that the enzymes of A. pullulans and A. niger have a high

regiospecificity in the fructosyl transfer reaction; i.e., which

transfers fructosyl moiety of sucrose to 1-OH of furanoside of other

sucrose molecules with high selectivity. However, several enzymes

were reported to show different specificity on sucrose producing 6-

kestose- or neokestose-based oligofructosides(68, 71, 80).

3. Enzyme mechanisms

The reaction mechanism of the fructosyltransferase depends on the

source of the enzyme. In plants and some microorganisms, a series of

enzymes act together, whereas single enzyme is working in most of

microorganisms. For example, fructosan metabolism in Jerusalem

artichoke(Helianthus tuberosus) is established by two enzymes:

sucrose-sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase(SST) and Beta(2??1)fructan:

Beta(2??1)fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (FFT). SST in the first

instance converts sucrose into glucose and an oligofructoside but is

unable to promote polymerization above the trisaccharides level,

further higher polymers are consecutively synthesized by FFT. The

overall reaction mechanism were expressed as follows(33):

GF + GF -> GF-F + G by SST

GF-Fn + GF-Fm-> GF-Fn-1 + GF-Fm+1 by FFT

where, GF is a sucrosyl group and n is the number of extrasucrosyl

fructose residues. Agave enzyme catalyzed stepwise

transfructosylation reaction to give rise to higher FOS formation,

where synthesis of FOS from sucrose takes place as below(37):

GF + fructosyltransferase-> F-fructosyltransferase + G

F-fructosyltransferase + GF -> GF2 + fructosyltransferase

Here, it is notable that glucose, not fructose, acts as the acceptor

of the fructose molecule from sucrose, and that GF2, GF3, and GF4

cannot act as donors of the fructosyl moiety for the synthesis of

higher oligosaccharides, and act as acceptors of fructose from

sucrose only for the synthesis of higher oligosaccharides. This

mechanism is identical with that of chicory enzyme reported by Singh

and Bhatia(48). Dickerson(71) proposed the reaction mechanism of C.

purpurea enzyme which produces mainly neokestose-based

oligosaccharides. The suggested mechanism is summarized as follows:

F2->1G + F2->1G -> F2->6G1->F + G

F2->1G + F2->6G1->2F-> F2->1F2->6G1->2F + G

Where, numbers indicate the position of carbonyl carbon atoms and

arrows represent the direction of glycosidic linkage(e.g., F2??1G

refers to sucrose). In addition to above two synthetic reactions, the

hydrolyzing reactions also occurs, and a hydrolysate like F2??6G acts

again as fructose donor and acceptor for the synthesis of neo-kestose

and its tetraoligomer. Gupta and Bhatia(20) proposed a model for the

fructosyltransferase in Fusarium oxysporum. They suggested that

fructose is transferred from the donor site to the fructosylated

nucleotide bridge and this, in turn, transfers the fructose moiety to

the sucrose at the acceptor site to form GF2. GF4 was the highest

glucofructosan, suggesting that the acceptor site is perhaps just big

enough to accommodate up to GF4. This seems a similar result with the

cases of fructosyltransferase from A. niger(10, 50) and A. pullulans

(11, 12, 56), in that GF4 is the biggest molecule of FOS for both

cases. Jung et al.(55) proposed a mathematical model for the mode of

action of fructosyltransferase derived from Aureobasidium pullulans.

The enzyme reaction mechanism can be expressed as follows(see Figure

1 for details):

GFn + GFn -> GFn-1 + GFn+1, (n=1-3)

According to this mechanism, the enzyme acts on sucrose in a

disproportionation type reaction, where one molecule of sucrose

serves as a donor and another acts as an acceptor. It is interesting

to note that the reaction mechanism of A. pullulans is, as described

above, very similar with that of agave fructosyltransferase reported

by Satyanarayana(41) only except that the first reaction step is

irreversible. When compared with Jung's model, Duan et al.(52)

recently proposed a modified reaction mechanism of the

fructosyltransferase derived from A. japonicus, where glucose

inhibition did not occur for 1-kestose and nystose, and substrate

inhibition for sucrose and the hydrolyzing reaction for nystose were

found. In particular, the enzymes from Aureobasidium sp. and A. niger

have a high regiospecificity which selectively transfers fructosyl

moiety of sucrose to 1-OH furanoside of the other sucrose molecules

(viz. selftransfer), resulting in the formation of only 1-kestose-

based FOS. In summary, most of the microbial fructosyltransferases

may catalyze the reactions of a readily reversible primary step and a

subsequent irreversible step as follows:

Fru-R + enz-> Fru-enz + R

Fru-enz + acceptor -> Fru-acceptor + enz

where Fru is fructose, enz is fructosyltransferase, and R represents

a carbonyl of aldose. Possibly, the aldoside part of the substrate

molecule is replaced by an enzyme-linked group, and partial

decomposition of this FOS precursor to aldose and ketose may furnish

the energy necessary for FOS synthesis.

4. Enzyme characteristics

Several fructosyltransferases were extensively purified and

characterized by some authors(10, 26, 35, 40). In general, the

enzymes derived from microorganisms are bigger in size, and more

stable in temperature than those from plant origins. A large number

of reports have placed the optimum pH and temperature for activity of

fructosyltransferase between 5 and 6.5, 50-60??, respectively. This

enzyme is a convenient for commercial use, as the reactions are

routinely carried out at fairly high concentrations of sucrose

solution(700-850 g/l). Therefore, operation can be conducted without

considering a significant contamination problem. There are a few

reports on enzyme inhibitors and activators. The fructosytransferase

from Agave americana is activated by Ca, Mg, Co and Li, and inhibited

by many minerals such as Ag, Pb, Hg, Al and Sn(38), whereas the

enzyme of Aureobasidium sp. is inhibited by Hg, Cu and Pb(88), but

its activators are not established. Although most of

fructosyltransferases catalyzes transfructosylation at rather high

concentrations of sucrose, many researchers have determined the

enzyme activity of transfructosylation at low sucrose concentrations.

Furthermore, definition of enzyme unit differs author by authors.

Some defined as the amount of enzyme responsible for transferring one

mole of fructose per min, while others defined as the amount of

enzyme for producing one mole glucose per min. The former seems to be

more reasonable than the latter since fructosyltransferase is often

contaminated with hydrolyzing activity(9, 50). The specificity of

microbial fructosyltransferase depends chiefly on the Beta-D-

fructoside residue of sucrose. Some substrates with terminal fructose

(e.g., raffinose and inulobiose) are also suitable for

oligofructoside synthesis(10). Furthermore, 1-kestose, nystose and 1F-

fructofuranosyl nystose also act as donor and acceptor of fructosyl

unit as well. Many FOS-producing microorganisms also simultaneously

produce a hydrolytic enzyme that degrade FOS(9, 10, 70). This

hydrolytic activity may be responsible for the appearance of fructose

in the final reaction products. The hydrolytic nature of the enzyme

should be suppressed to serve an industrial FOS production.

Chemical Structure and Physicochemial properties

Chemical structure

FOS are easily understood as inulin-type oligosaccharides of D-

fructose attached by -(2??1) linkages that carry a D-glucosyl residue

at the end of chain. They constitute a series of homologous

oligosaccharides derived from sucrose usually representing by the

formula GFn as depicted in Figure 2. The structures of FOS

synthesized in cell-free enzyme systems are essentially identical to

those produced by whole-cell systems. A research group of Meiji Seika

Co., the first commercial producer of FOS introduced the chemical

structure of FOS produced from A. niger fructosyltransferase(89). The

chemical structure of FOS produced by Aureobasidium

fructosyltransferase was also identified by methylation, GLC, GC-MS,

and NMR analysis(13). These two representative FOS are now widely

known to be a oligosaccharides containing 1-kestose, nystose and 1F-

fructofuranosyl nystose. Aspergillus sydowi produced six different

FOS showing high degree of polymerization(DP 3-13), and their

chemical structures were well illustrated(49). Recently Nagamatsu et

al.(16) identified 1-kestose and neokestose-based oligofructans in

Lycoris radiata herb tissue. Structure analysis is important in the

study of FOS because, as mentioned above, the degree of

polymerization and linkages of FOS vary with enzyme sources.

Physicochemical properties

Although many articles on FOS have been published so far, the

extensive data on the physicochemical properties are scarcely

available. Gross(90) reported chemical properties of some kestosides

such as 1-kestose, 6-kestose, and neokestose. Specific rotation

([alpha]D20) and melting temperature of 1-kestose are +28.5o and 199-

200o, respectively and forms fine white crystals fairly rapidly. The

relative sweetness of 1-kestose, nystose, and 1F-fructofuranosyl

nystose to 10 % sucrose solution are 31, 22, and 16 %, respectively

(89). FOS are highly hygroscopic; it is difficult to keep the

lyophilized products stable under the atmospheric conditions for

prolonged periods. Viscosity of FOS solution is relatively higher

than that of sucrose at the same concentrations, and thermal

stability is also higher than that of sucrose(Neosugar User's guide,

Meiji Seika Co., 1982). Also, FOS are highly stable in the normal

food range of pHs(4.0-7.0), and also stable at refrigerated

temperatures over one year. While there have been few published

studies comparing the physicochemical properties of FOS from sucrose,

there are strong indication that FOS resemble those of sucrose in

many properties such as solubility, freezing and boiling points and

crystal data, etc.

Production of fructooligosaccharides

Enzyme preparation

Production of fructosyltransferase is by aerobic submerged

fermentation with some fungal strains. Although fermentation

parameters of aeration, agitation, and pH and temperature should be

established for each microorganism, the general conditions for

producing fructosyltransferase by growing cultures of organisms were

well demonstrated. For example, sucrose is the best carbon source for

both cell growth and enzyme activity, maintaining pH above 5.5 is

important, and the optimum temperature for growth is ~30??(8, 9, 50).

The effect of nutritional effects on the production of

fructosyltransferase from Aureobasidium sp. were well described by

some workers(55, 86, 91). Other nutritional requirement and the time

course pattern of enzyme production were very similar, in that

intracellular enzyme was excreted to the culture broth after the

statistic phase of growth. It is important to note that intracellular

activity was greatly enhanced by increasing the amount of Mg ion

concentration, which was a very useful finding for immobilization of

the whole cells. The hydrolyzing activity was negligible in these two

enzymes. Yun et al.(12) and Gupta and Bhatia(20) analyzed the

carbohydrates during the cultivation of A. pullulans and C.

oxysporum, respectively. Figure 3 shows a typical growth pattern of

A. pullulans and enzyme production. When the sucrose supply was

limited FOS were successively utilized as a carbon source. After six-

hour culture with 20 % sucrose, about 55 %(w/w) FOS were accumulated

in the culture medium. Consequently most of carbohydrates are

utilized at the end of cultivation period. Cells were easily

harvested by a basket centrifuge, and then enzyme was extracted by

lysozyme or whole cells were immobilized to serve FOS production.

Industrial production of FOS

Recent developments in industrial enzymology have made possible the

large-scale production of FOS by enzymatic means. It appears that the

industrial processes for the production of FOS can be divided into

two classes: First, the batch system using soluble enzyme and second,

the continuous one using immobilized enzyme or whole cells. The Meiji

Seika Co.(Japan) who initially produced FOS have used a continuous

process using the immobilized cells of A. niger entrapped in calcium

alginate gel. More recently, Cheil Foods & Chemicals Co.(Korea) also

developed a continuous process by immobilized cells of A. pullulans

entrapped in calcium alginate gel. Two 1 m3 of packed bed reactors

are now in commercial operation since 1990 where the stability of the

immobilized cells is known about three months at 50??(11). It is

recommended that high concentrations of sucrose ranging from 600 to

850 g/l should be used as a substrate so as to save evaporation cost

for final processing. Recent processes for the production of FOS

syrup are illustrated in Table 3. Both batch and continuous process

of commercial FOS production are compared in Figure 4, where two

industrial strains such as A. niger and A. pullulans can be

introduced. A number of adsorbents and ion-exchangers have been

studied for immobilization of fructosyl- transferase(56, 58, 59, 63)

together with alginate gel(11, 12, 83, 92).

High concentrations of sucrose solution(routinely up to 700 g/l) is

used as substrate for both batch and continuous process of FOS

production. In a column reactor charged with immobilized cells, it is

hard to operate the column at fast flow rates due to a diffusional

restriction of the substrate and products within the Ca-alginate gel

matrix. Immobilized enzyme column is essentially superior to

immobilized cell column from the practical point of view; i.e.,

immobilization method is rather simple, unit volumetric productivity

is more advantageous by a fast processing. However, the operational

stability of the immobilized cells is proved to be higher than that

of immobilized enzyme(11). Therefore, it should be stressed that both

productivity and operational stability were to be considered to meet

an feasibility for industrial process of FOS production. From the

practical standpoint of that batch production with the extracted

enzyme needs an additional process for the removal of residual enzyme

contained in the reaction products, continuous process with

immobilized enzyme or cells is more favorable. Generally the final

FOS syrup commercially available is over the concentrations of 800

g/l, evaporation of the reaction products is performed by the

traditional evaporation process. In the sterilization process,

although either heat or ultraviolet sterilization methods can be

recommended, ultraviolet method is rather favorable because

colorization of the reaction products may be occurred by heat

sterilization at high sterilization temperatures, and continuous

sterilization is also possible with ultraviolet sterilization.

Analytical Methods

A direct method of measuring FOS is by HPLC. FOS and free sugars were

easily separated on an ion exchange column(e.g., HPX-87C, Biorad)

which was connected to a refractive index detector. The column

temperature was kept constant at 85 ??. Water was used as a mobile

phase at a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min(57, 63-66). Paper and thin-layer

chromatography can be used as identification tools of FOS from

sucrose, fructose and glucose. The TLC system for determination of

FOS were well described by et al.(93).

Separation and Purification

As is often the case with carbohydrate mixtures, it is also very

difficult to separate the FOS components each other. Therefore, pure

products of 1-kestose, nystose and 1F-fructofuranosyl nystose are not

easily available except that some Japanese companies such as Meiji

Seika Co. and Daichi Gakaku pharmaceutical Co. have supplied for an

analytical purpose. Most of workers used carbon-Celite columns in

order to separate FOS components with gradient elution of ethanol.

Hidaka et al.(50) purified GF2 and GF3 by activated charcoal column,

and then GF4 was purified by further purification using a preparative

HPLC. Gross(90) gave a guideline for separation of 1-kestose, 6-

kestose and neokestose, of which 1-kestose and neokestose were

isolated by carbon-Celite column, and 6-kestose was obtained by

through cellulose column. The reaction mixture is placed on a carbon-

Celite column and chromatographically separated by a gradient elution

technique. After an examination of individual fractions by paper

chromatography, the fractions containing predominantly 1-kestose are

combined, evaporated under reduced pressure, and rechromatographed by

the same procedure. Upon freeze drying of the final fractions, fine

white crystals are finally obtained.

High-content fructooligosaccharides

In the process of FOS production with fructosyltransferase alone, a

main problem is that the activity of the enzyme is severely inhibited

by glucose, which is generated as a by-product. As a result, most

commercial FOS products presently available contain considerable

amount of sucrose and glucose, strictly speaking, they are actually a

mixture of FOS, sucrose, and glucose. The maximum FOS content is

known to be 55-60 % in dry substance basis(11, 12, 50, 55),

consequently, this have limited the use of favorable properties of

FOS. The authors have focused on searching an economical method for

the production of high-content FOS. For this purpose, we have

examined the enzymatic methods to enhance the conversion of FOS by

reducing or eliminating the glucose using two kinds of enzymes. One

is glucose isomerase and the other is glucose oxidase, both of which

are involved in glucose utilization. In the first case(81), we found

that glucose isomerase was not effective tool for our aim since the

enzyme kinetic parameters including is constant and inhibition

constant for glucose were altered in the mixed-enzyme system, which

subsequently did not make a contribution to achieve higher conversion

of FOS. On the other hand, as presented in our previous articles(57,

82), we introduced the potential advantages of glucose oxidase in the

production of high-content FOS. High-content FOS up to 98 % was

obtained by the mixed-enzyme system of fructosyltransferase and

glucose oxidase(Table 4). This system can be easily scaled up without

any risk and be an alternative to the commercial production of high

FOS syrup. Several chromatographic separation processes using ion

exchange columns commercially available was tried by Meiji Seika Co.

(94) and by the authors(95). But, as would be expected, the recovery

yield was far too low to apply to a production scale.

Functionalities and Applications

FOS have a number of interesting properties(15, 96, 98). First, FOS

have low sweetness intensity, being only about a third as sweet as

sucrose. This property is quite useful in the various kinds of foods

where the use of sucrose is restricted by its high sweetness. Second,

FOS are calorie-free; i.e, they are scarcely hydrolyzed by the

digestive enzymes and not utilized as an energy source in the body,

thus safe for diabetics. Third, they are noncariogenic; that is, they

are not used by Streptcoccus mutans to form the acids and insoluble -

glucan that are main culprits in dental caries. Finally, FOS

encourage the growth of the bifidobacteria and discourage the growth

of potentially putrefactive microorganisms that have a tendency to

cause diarrhea. However, FOS offer in addition important

physiological properties: they decrease the levels of serum

cholesterol, phospholipid and triglyceride(89).

FOS have found use in a wide range of applications for foods and

other areas. An effective use of FOS can be achieved by blending them

with other sweeteners such as HFCS and tabletop sugars. An important

consideration is necessary in replacement of sweeteners in a

formulation of foodstuffs with FOS. Also, using FOS in place of

sucrose does not remove beneficial bulking properties that sucrose

provides, suggesting FOS alone are nearly identical replacement for

sucrose. The approval of FOS in Japan prompted the establishment of

an acceptable daily intake of about 0.8g/kg body weight/day. A very

pure FOS products are also commercially available as a bifidus-

stimulating agent where FOS need to be highly purified and

lyophilized.

Market trend

FOS were first introduced into the market as foodstuffs by Meiji

Seika Co., Japan in 1984. Japan has the largest commercial market and

its market volume amounted to over 4000 metric ton in 1990(84).

Although FOS have not been marketed in the United States and Europe,

several companies have been trying to get the GRAS(Generally

Recognized As Safe) status for using FOS with plain, unsweetened

dairy products. It is evident from some consumption data which

consumer interest in low-calorie food products is increasing(99).

Thus, consumption of fructooligosa- ccharides in sugar market is

expected to continue to rise. Many petitions for FOS use in foods are

currently in process in Japan, Korea, and some European countries.

> What is FOS?

> Thanks

[Guest guest]

Yes, but how does it affect those of us with candida overgrowth?

Mic

> I was told that it feeds the good bacteria but not the bad by three good

>sources of Phd's...Joyce

[Guest guest]

How do you unsubscribe?

Latrice

[Guest guest]

Click on " my groups " then " edit my groups " . Then click the box to the

right of the group that you want to leave " leave group "

> How do you unsubscribe?

>

> Latrice

[Guest guest]

If you eat dairy, be careful - most organic dairy products, and some

non-organic, are now including inulin which apparently increases

calcium absorption. It is usually derived from chicory root (although

another source can be gluten.)

Amy

>

> In my family, we are all allergic to chicory, it gives us migraines,

> so what is harmless to some may not be to others, too bad physicians

> think a one size fits all is all that is needed sometimes!

>

[Guest guest]

>

> I just noticed that my acidopholis has FOS in it. I did some reading

> and some sites say it feeds only good bacteria while others say it

> feeds both bad and good bacteria. I have been using it vaginally and

> my symptoms seem to have disappated for now. Any suggestions or

> feedback would be greatly appreciated as I don't want to continue

using something that is going to feed bad bacteria.

==>Caryn, FOS & Inulin are sugars too and I do not recommend either of

them for candida sufferers, nor anyone for that matter. FOS & Inulin

never existed when I cured my candida in the mid 1980s and I took a

powdered non-dairy acidophilus in the millions of units, not billions

like they have nowadays. Obviously it worked for me. I think FOS &

Inulin are a new marketing ploy to make more money. See this reference

to understand more:

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/pre2.php

Here's an excerpt: Many different species of yeast are able to utilize

Inulin/FOS for energy.

Historically, microbes have demonstrated the innate ability to adapt to

almost any condition and fuel source. If bacteria can adapt to break

down industrial solvents in our soil and use them for energy, it would

be irresponsible to think that they will not adapt to utilize

Inulin/FOS, a high energy carbohydrate.

There are hundreds of different species of bacteria and several yeast

strains living in our GI tracts. Studies have only looked at the

effects of Inulin/FOS on a handful of these microbes.

Bee

[Guest guest]

Introduction

In the last five years there has been a quantum leap in both the

scientific and clinical interest in the concept of 'prebiotics',

which were first defined in 1995 as... " non-digestible food

ingredients that beneficially affect the gut by selectively

stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of

bacteria in the colon, that can improve host health "

(Gibson & Roberfroid, 1995).

This surge in interest has stimulated numerous scientific studies

that are now producing a broadly consistent set of evidence

demonstrating positive health benefits. These, together with the easy

practicality of prebiotic administration, will propel these products

to be one of the most widely consumed types of dietary supplements in

the USA within the next 5 years.

The following article reviews the different types of prebiotics and

their mechanism of action, and also provides evidence of their

efficacy. This accumulated evidence will illustrate why prebiotics

are causing such scientific and commercial excitement.

Advertisement

The Human Intestinal Microflora -- The Target for Prebiotics

The human gastrointestinal tract contains a complex mixed ecosystem

of several hundred different types of bacteria, which are at their

most numerous in the colon where numbers exceed [10.sup.11]/g (100

billion/g) or [10.sup.14] (100,000 billion) in total. To put this

into context, the total human body cells number approximately

[10.sup.13] (10,000 billion).

The human microflora, however, are far from inert and have proven

major functions, including:

* Direct protection against intestinal infection

* Continuous priming of the intestinal immune system from birth onwards

* Provision of nutrients to the host, including B-vitamins and short

chain fatty acids

* Possible influence on reducing risk of colorectal cancer development

However, within the normal flora it is generally acknowledged that

some bacterial types, notably the Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli,

are major contributors to these benefits, whilst others such as the

Clostridia and Enterobactereacea are relative non-contributors and

are also potentially pathogenic.

The function of prebiotics therefore is to specifically promote the

growth and/or activity of the desirable types, i.e. Bifidobacteria

and Lactobacilli, which consequently produces a relative reduction in

undesirable types such as E. coli, Klebsiella, Clostridium and

Candida albicans.

Types of Prebiotic

It is clear that in order to support the enormous number of bacteria

in the colon, a substantial amount of nutrient needs to be delivered

into the large intestine. The major sources of nitrogen are derived

from the contribution of urea (via the liver), sloughed off

epithelial cells and digestive enzymes, while the bulk of the carbon

and energy source comes from non-digestive, plantderived

carbohydrates, which form part of our dietary intake. These

nondigestible carbohydrates, which are often described as soluble

fiber, include non-starch polysaccharides, resistant starches and

soluble oligosaccharides. A classification of these natural and also

some synthetic prebiotic types is listed in Table 1.

A characteristic of all prebiotics is that they escape digestion in

the small intestine and are fermented in the large intestine by the

microflora. This produces predominantly lactate, the short chain

fatty acids (SOFA's) -- acetic, propionic and butyric, and the gases

hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide (Cummings & Macfarlane, 1997).

These characteristics of FOS and other prebiotics have caused the

National Academy of Sciences to revise its definition of fiber to

include these prebiotic materials.

Oligosaccharides

Oligosaccharides are normally classified as glycosides that contain

between three and ten sugar monosaccharide monomers. The general

structure of one type, the fructooligosaccharides, is shown in Figure

1. They are found naturally in most plants and cereals but are

especially rich in peas and beans, leeks, artichokes, onions,

eggplant, chicory and garlic.

* Commercially available oligosaccharides include

galacto-oligosaceharides synthesized from lactose and soybean

oligosaccharides -but by far the most popular and well researched are

fructooligosaccharides.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)

FOS are by far the most abundant type of oligosaccharide, with the

typical diet in the USA delivering between 28g/day, with an average

of 2.54g/day (Moshfegh et al, 1999). As a comparison, the

'Mediterranean' type diet delivers between 12-18g/day (Cummings, 1995).

FOS are about half as sweet as sugar but with a fraction of the

calorific value and as such they were first developed as a low

calorie, low cariogenic, sugar substitute. However, as awareness has

grown of the differential effects that FOS has on the human

microflora, it has become the standard bearer of 'prebiotics' as a

new type of nutritional supplement.

FOS -- Physiological Effects and Mechanism of Action

Because humans do not possess the necessary enzymes to degrade FOS,

they pass unaffected into the large intestine where they are

completely fermented by components of the microflora, resulting in no

excretion of FOS in the feces (Alles et al, 1996).

[Guest guest]

Ok...the protocol for SCD and GAPS say not to use FOS.not sure about BED as I do not have the book.

I already have probiotic strains, but they have the FOS...Would it be that terrible to at least begin the diet with all the "restrictions" utilize this product until it is gone?

I realize that it may not be as effective, or will it completely defeat the entire process?

Mellissa in MI

[Guest guest]

I would go ahead and use it and then switch to something else when it's used up. But I am cheap like that! ;-)On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 9:33 AM, Mellissa <hispsalm127@...> wrote:

Ok...the protocol for SCD and GAPS say not to use FOS.not sure about BED as I do not have the book.

I already have probiotic strains, but they have the FOS...Would it be that terrible to at least begin the diet with all the " restrictions " utilize this product until it is gone?

I realize that it may not be as effective, or will it completely defeat the entire process?

Mellissa in MI

[Guest guest]

>

> I am trying to cleanse my bowels now to support the candida diet and a product

has FOS. Is this okay? It is an herbal fiber suppliment from Renew Life.

+++Hi Judith. Welcome to our group.

No that product isn't okay - see this:

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/pre2.php

I don't recommend cleanses of any kind because they dump too many toxins into

your system at one time, which most people cannot handle, and they are

counterproductive to curing candida.

Candida is only cured by building up the immune system which is done by:

1) Consuming " proper nutrients " (diet plus supplements),

2) Eliminating toxins and foods that feed candida (they also feed bacteria and

cancer),

3) Eliminating damaging foods, and

4) Eliminating toxins in general.

Please ensure you read two important articles on candida, so you understand

candida, and know what you need to do and why:

1) How to Successfully Overcome Candida

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/intro2.php

2) Curing Candida, How to Get Started

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/intro1.php

For encouragement and inspiration see these wonderful Success Stories by members

of this group: http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/success/index.php

The best, Bee