NOVEL ASSESSMENT OF SYNERGISTIC STIMULATORY EFFECT OF PREBIOTIC CHITOOLIGOSACCHARIDE AND SOME COMMERCIAL PREBIOTICS ON THE PROBIOTIC GROWTH: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

This study investigates the possible synergistic stimulatory effects of prebiotic chitooligosaccharide and some commercial prebiotics on probiotic growth. Different combination of chitooligosaccharide with inulin, fructooligosaccharide, and lactulose were prepared and their ability to stimulate the growth of probiotic strains was evaluated. Following Chou-Talalay method, the combination index was calculated and used for synergistic assessment. The data showed that most of the prebiotics combinations showed synergism with different magnitudes depending on the prebiotic type, concentration and the probiotic strain employed in the study. It was indicated from the combination index that the combination between chitooligosaccharide and fructooligosaccharide has higher synergism compared to the combination of chitooligosaccharide with lactulose or inulin. Additionally, as the concentration of prebiotics increased, the synergistic effect increased. Synergism was also affected by the probiotic strain employed, since a higher synergism was shown with Bifidobacterium lactis when compared to Lactobacillus helveticus. It was concluded that combining chitooligosaccharide with commercial prebiotics produced synergistic effect on the probiotic proliferation. The synergism was further dependent on the type and concentration of the combined prebiotic and on the probiotic strain used in the study.