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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota
Published on: July 31, 2019
Selected prebiotics support the growth of probiotic mono-cultures in vitro
Ping Su1, Anders Henriksson, Hazel Mitchell
1School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to identify suitable prebiotics for synergistic combinations with representative probiotics from the lactobacilli and bifidobacterium genera. Eleven different types of commercially available carbohydrates and compounds were screened in basal media for their effects on the growth of the probiotic cultures Lactobacillus acidophilus LAFTI L10 (L10), Bifidobacterium animalis lactis LAFTI B94 (B94) and Lactobacillus casei LAFTI L26 (L26). Growth of these probiotics was investigated by measuring optical density (OD) levels over a period of 48 h. The results of this study showed that all three probiotic strains were able to utilize a range of carbohydrates. Maximal growth of L10 was observed in basal medium supplemented with soybean oligosaccharide (SOS), followed by fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and inulin, while maximal growth of B94 was observed in basal medium supplemented with SOS, followed by raffinose, FOS, beta-glucan hydrolysate, inulin and Fibregum TAN. L26 was shown to exhibit maximal growth in basal medium supplemented with FOS followed by inulin, SOS, beta-glucan hydrolysate and beta-glucan concentrate. The results of this study indicate that several carbohydrates/compounds can enhance the growth of these representative probiotic strains in vitro.
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