Isomalto-Oligosaccharides (IMO)
IMO 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].
IMO are not digested by human enzymes but fermented by the probiotics of the large intestine, selectively supporting the growth mostly of Bifidobacterium [5][19]. Additional positive effects are increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila and Roseburia [25], and also decreasing pathogenic Clostridium difficile [18][19]. Fermentation of IMO results in multiple groups of metabolites (of which short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the major group), and mostly increased acetate and propionate production [18]. SCFAs play a crucial role in human health [7].
IMO benefits:
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][18][19]
Decreased levels of serum cholesterol, triacylglycerols and phospholipids [18][20][23]
Improved mineral and vitamin absorption [10][20]
Prevention of intestinal infection and extra intestinal infections [9][10]
Optimization of colonic function and metabolism, reduces nitrogenated products [22]
Decreased the concentrations of serum D-lactate (D-LA) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) [18]
Reduce the effects of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) [21]
Therapeutic potential in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [21]
Improve gastroesophageal reflux symptoms [21]
Stimulate the secretion of gut incretin hormones [21]
Decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases [21]
Decrease the risk of colon and breast cancer [21]
Stimulate intestinal and systemic immunity via a shift in the Th1/Th2 balance towards Th1-dominant immunity. [24]
References:
[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
[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
[18] Long-term supplementation of isomalto-oligosaccharides improved colonic microflora profile, bowel function, and blood cholesterol levels in constipated elderly people—A placebo-controlled, diet-controlled trial by Yen C, Tseng Y, Kuo Y, Lee M, Chen H; Nutrition. 2011;27(4):445-450. doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2010.05.012.
[19] Next-generation prebiotic promotes selective growth of bifidobacteria, suppressing Clostridioides difficile; Gut Microbes, Jan-Dec 2021;13(1):1973835. doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2021.1973835
[20] Functional Oligosaccharides: Chemicals Structure, Manufacturing, Health Benefits, Applications and Regulations by Osama O. Ibrahim; Functional Oligosaccharides: Chemicals Structure, Manufacturing, Health Benefits, Applications and Regulations; Journal of Food Chemistry & Nanotechnology doi.org/10.17756/jfcn.2018-060
[21] Probiotics, Prebiotics and Synbiotics: Technological Advancements Towards Safety and Industrial Applications by Parmjit Singh Panesar, Anil Kumar Anal; Chapter 15:Isomaltooligosaccharides as Prebiotics and their Health Benefits, Page:371, 15.4 Health Benefits of IMO doi.org/10.1002/9781119702160.ch15
[22] Patel S, Goyal A. Functional oligosaccharides: production, properties and applications. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2011;27:1119-1128. doi.org/10.1007/s11274-010-0558-5
[23] Wang HF, Lim P-S, Kao MD, et al. (2011) Use of isomalto-oligosaccharide in the treatment of lipid profiles and constipation in hemodialysis patients. J Renal Nutr 11: 73–79. doi.org/10.1016/s1051-2276(01)92591-9
[24] Isomalto-Oligosaccharides Polarize Th1-Like Responses in Intestinal and Systemic Immunity in Mice by Hiroyuki Mizubuchi, Toshiki Yajima, Noriaki Aoi, Tetsuji Tomita, Yasunobu Yoshikai; The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 135, Issue 12, December 2005, Pages 2857–2861, doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.12.2857
[25] Probiotics and Prebiotics in Foods, Challenges, Innovations, and Advances by Roberto de Paula do Nascimento, Mario Roberto Marostica Junior; 2021, Pages 13-46, Chapter 2 – Emerging Prebiotics: Nutritional and Technological Considerations doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819662-5.00016-1
