Prebiotics

Prebiotics are non-viable or non-digestable ingredients of food that improve the health by enhancing the growth of essential micro flora. The beneficial bacteria's include Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. The positive impacts of prebiotics are on prevention of inflammatory bowel diseases, treatment of eczema, cancer and urinary tract infection. Clinical trials had proven that a particular food product that acts as prebiotics improves the well- being of the patient with such conditions. The main sources of prebiotics are dietary fibres. Some of the fruits and vegetables like banana, garlic, onion, asparagus, leeks acts as major prebiotics. Human milk also contains huge quanity of prebiotics. In infants these are very essential as they produced microflora which balance the consistency, ph, and frequency of the stool and also enhances the activity of immune system. Plethora of research studies and clinical trials have been conducted regarding the effect of prebiotics which includes, effectiveness of prebiotics (1) to reduce the duration of acute diarrhoea and gastritis in children, (2) children who are overweight or with obesity (3) infectious diseases caused by bacteria viruses and fungi . Apart from the mammalian study chickens have also been used to study about the role of prebiotics in the enhancement of their lifespan.


Dr.Mohammed Mustafa.G.
Assistant Professor

Submitted by: Ms. Hitha kommeri, IV Pharm D