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Influence of alternansucrase‐derived oligosaccharides and other carbohydrates on α‐galactosidase and α‐glucosidase activity in Bifidobacterium adolescentis
Author(s) -
Holt S.M.,
Teresi J.M.,
Côté G.L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-765x.2007.02266.x
Subject(s) - biochemistry , alpha galactosidase , enzyme , alpha glucosidase , bifidobacterium , beta galactosidase , alpha (finance) , oligosaccharide , bifidobacterium longum , chemistry , beta glucosidase , enzyme assay , biology , fermentation , escherichia coli , lactobacillus , gene , fabry disease , medicine , construct validity , nursing , disease , pathology , patient satisfaction
Aims: To determine the influence of alternansucrase‐derived oligosaccharides (AOS) and other carbohydrates on α‐galactosidase and α‐glucosidase activity in Bifidobacterium adolescentis . Methods and Results: Activities for α‐galactosidase and α‐glucosidase were determined from cell extracts of B . adolescentis grown on 18 test carbohydrates including AOS. α‐galactosidase activity was enhanced on a variety of α‐linked or β‐linked carbohydrates regardless of a galactoside or glucoside. α‐glucosidase, however, was enhanced only on α‐linked carbohydrates. AOS significantly enhanced enzyme activity compared with most of the carbohydrates tested. Most of the AOS showed significant increases in activity for both enzymes over that displayed by their corresponding acceptor carbohydrates. Conclusions: α‐galactosidase may serve as a biomarker for microbial metabolic activity within the large intestine for potential prebiotics composed of α‐linked or β‐linked oligosaccharides whereas α‐glucosidase activity may be restricted to assessing the influence of only α‐linked carbohydrates. The AOS synthesis process provided a value‐added component to carbohydrates by increasing metabolic activity (via α‐galactosidase and α‐glucosidase) over certain acceptor carbohydrates. Significance and Impact of the Study: Fundamental knowledge of enzyme activity in Bifidobacterium may aid in the design of more effective prebiotics and may also help identify enzyme indicators of metabolic activity when assessing influence within the intestine.