Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS)

Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS) are prebiotic fibers found in natural sources, however in insufficient concentration for all prebiotic effects [1][2]. NATVIE Healthcare uses Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS) in its products, produced by enzymatic biosynthesis of sucrose from sugarcane, allowing a maximum concentration of at least 95%.

FOS are carbohydrates which are classified as non-digestible oligosaccharide (NDO) [3]. NDOs constitute one of the most important ingredients in foods, providing not only important nutritional value and organoleptic quality but also functional properties beneficial to human health and well-being [4].

FOS are not digested by human enzymes but fermented by the probiotics of the large intestine, selectively supporting the growth mostly of Lactobacillus [5]. Fermentation of FOS results in multiple groups of metabolites (of which short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the major group), and mostly increased acetate and butyrate production [6]. SCFAs play a crucial role in human health [7].

FOS Benefits:

Immune Support, Women, Urinary Tract Support
Modulation of gastrointestinal microbiota, stimulation of probiotic growth [8]

Decreased intestinal pH [9]

Increase levels of SCFAs [9]

Inhibition of pathogens in the intestinal flora [10][11][12][13]

Decreased levels of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols and phospholipids [14]

Improved mineral and vitamin absorption [10][11][14]

Prevention of intestinal infection and extra intestinal infections [9][10]

Regulation of intestinal immune system [9][10]

Enhancement of immune response [9]

Reducing damage of ulcerative colitis [9]

Optimization of colonic function and metabolism [9][10]

Beneficial effects in prevention or treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis [17]

Improves glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity [15]

Improves leptin sensitivities and appetite control [16]

Reference:

[1] Health Effects and Sources of Prebiotic Dietary Fiber; Current Developments in Nutrition, Volume 2, Issue 3, March 2018 doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzy005

[2] Prebiotics: Definition, Types, Sources, Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications; Foods 2019, 8(3), 92; Probiotics and Functional Foods doi.org/10.3390/foods8030092

[3] Neuroprotective Potential of Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides: An Overview of Experimental Evidence, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 23 August 2021 doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.712531

[4] Food Oligosaccharides. Production, Analysis and Bioactivity by F. Javier Moreno and María Luz Sanz, Preface; May 2014

[5] Antioxidant Vitamins and Prebiotic FOS and XOS Differentially Shift Microbiota Composition and Function and Improve Intestinal Epithelial Barrier In Vitro; Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1125; Micronutrients and Human Health doi.org/10.3390/nu1304112

[6] Fermentation of prebiotics by human colonic microbiota in vitro and short-chain fatty acids production: a critical review by T.J. Ashaolu, J.O. Ashaolu, S.A.O. Adeyeye; Journal of Applied Mycrobiology, Volume130, Issue3, March 2021, Pages 677-687 doi.org/10.1111/jam.14843

[7] Short-chain fatty acids activate acetyltransferase p300; eLife 2021;10:e72171 doi.org/10.7554/eLife.72171

[8] Impaired barrier function by dietary fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) in rats is accompanied by increased colonic mitochondrial gene expression, BMC Genomics Published online 2008 Mar 27 doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-9-144

[9] Saad N, Delattre C, Urdaci M, Schmitter J M, Bressollier P. An overview of the last advances in probiotic and prebiotic field. LWT – Food Science and Technology. 2013;50:1-16. doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2012.05.014

[10] Charalampopoulos D, Rastall R A. Prebiotics in foods. Current Opinion in Biotechnology. 2012;23:187-191. doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2011.12.028

[11] Sabater-Molina, M, Larqué, E, Torrella, F, Zamora, S. Dietary fructooligosaccharides and potential benefits on health. Journal of Physiology and Biochemistr, 2009;65:315-328. doi.org/10.1007/BF03180584

[12] Lorenzoni, A S G, Aydos, L F, Klein, M P, Rodrigues, R C, Hertz, P F. Fructooligosaccharides synthesis by highly stable immobilized β-fructofuranosidase from Aspergillus aculeatus. Carbohydrate Polymers. 2014;103:193-197. doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.12.038

[13] Bruzzese, E, Volpicelli, M, Squeglia, V, Bruzzese, D, Salvini, F, Bisceglia, M, Lionetti,P, Cinquetti, M, Iacono, G, Amarri, S, Guarino, A. A formula containing galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides prevents intestinal and extra-intestinal infections: An observational study. Clinical Nutrition. 2009;28:156-161. doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2009.01.008

[14] Dietary fructooligosaccharides and potential benefits on health, M. Sabater-Molina, E. Larqué, F. Torrella & S. Zamora, Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry volume 65, pages 315–328 (2009) doi.org/10.1007/BF03180584

[15] Fructo-oligosaccharides and glucose homeostasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis in animal models, Cindy Le Bourgot,Emmanuelle Apper, Sophie Blat and Frédérique Respondek; Nutrition & Metabolism volume 15, Article number: 9 (2018) doi.org/10.1186/s12986-018-0245-3[16]

[16] Can functional oligosaccharides reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus? Di Zhu, Qiaojuan Yan, Jun Liu, Xia Wu, Zhengqiang Jiang; The FASEB Journal, Volume33, Issue11, November 2019, Pages 11655-11667 doi.org/10.1096/fj.201802802RRR

[17] Chemically Defined Diet Alters the Protective Properties of Fructo-Oligosaccharides and Isomalto-Oligosaccharides in HLA-B27 Transgenic Rats by Petya Koleva, Ali Ketabi, Rosica Valcheva, Michael G. Gänzle, Levinus A. Dieleman; PLOS ONE Published: November 4, 2014 doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111717

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