HEENA CHOUDHARY, DIPJYOTI CHAKRABORTY, ATUL SHARMA, JATINDRA KUMAR PRADHAN1 AND RAJ SINGH*
Department of Bio-sciences and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith, Newai, Tonk-304 022 (Rajasthan), India
*(e-mail: dr.rajsingh09@gmail.com; Mobile: 98979 90346)
(Received: June 25, 2025; Accepted: August 3, 2025)
ABSTRACT
In this study, the in vitro effects of five commercially available prebiotics: fructo oligosaccharides (FOS), inulin (INU), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) and lactulose (LAC) were compared for the growth and acidifying activity against five probiotic bacterial strains: Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus and Brevibacterium spp. Three concentrations of the prebiotics: 0.5, 1 and 2% were evaluated. The kind and concentration of prebiotics were found to have a significant effect on the probiotic strains’ proliferation and acidifying action. In general, growth and acidifying activities enhanced as prebiotic contents raised. Notably, Bacillus strains showed consistent growth enhancement, with XOS and FOS performing particularly well. However, Brevibacterium species exhibited significant species-specific responses, with GOS and XOS showing the most beneficial effects on growth. Additionally, the study found that higher concentrations of prebiotics promoted greater acidifying activity, with B. subtilis displaying the highest acidification in response to XOS. These findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate prebiotics for each probiotic strain in the development of functional foods. The results emphasize the role of prebiotics in enhancing probiotic performance and suggest that their efficacy varies based on the strain and type of prebiotic.
Key words: Prebiotics, probiotic bacteria, growth, acidifying activity, Bacillus strains, Brevibacterium sp.