Abstract
Addition of 3% or 5% transgalactosylated-oligosaccharides (TOS) to the purified diet (PD) resulted in marked increases in the number of bifidobacteria and concentration of acetic acid and a slight decrease in the concentration of butyric acid in the cecum and/or feces of rats . In the mice fed on 3 TOS-containing PD, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were found to be slightly increased in number, while a remarkable increase was found in the concentration of acetic and butyric acids . Addition of 3 % TOS to the PD containing 15 % cellulose recovered the lowered numbers of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli that were caused by the high concentration of fiber in the mouse cecum . The effect of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on the intestinal microflora and short-chain fatty acids was different in some respects from that of TOS.
