Functional oligosaccharides have become important functional food base materials due to their unique physiological functions. They have attracted widespread attention around the world and are the health food ingredients with the fastest growth in the market in recent years. China's functional oligosaccharides have formed a certain scale, and the products on the market include isomaltooligosaccharide, fructooligosaccharide, galacto-oligosaccharide, xylo-oligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, etc.

Isomaltooligosaccharides

Isomaltooligosaccharide has excellent physical and chemical properties of starch syrup, and its sweetness is only 45% to 50% of sucrose. Isomalto-oligosaccharide has strong stability to acid and heat, has good moisturizing properties, can inhibit starch retrogradation, aging and precipitation of crystallized sugars in food, has low water activity, has antibacterial effects, and is an indigestible sugar. Isomalto-oligosaccharide also has bifidobacterial proliferation activity and low caries properties. It can strongly inhibit the synthesis of non-water-soluble glucan by Streptococcus granulosus, and can strongly inhibit the adhesion of glucan produced by granulated sugar to the teeth, thereby hindering the formation of tartar and preventing the loss of enamel on the tooth surface. Because it has low calories, can inhibit the rise of blood sugar and lower blood cholesterol, it basically does not increase blood sugar and blood lipids, and will not cause obesity after ingestion, so it can be used as a sweet snack for diabetics.

Fructooligosaccharides

Fructo-oligosaccharide is difficult to be digested and absorbed by the human body, has a low energy value, and is not prone to obesity after ingestion. Fructo-oligosaccharide is not easily digested and absorbed in the intestinal tract, but reaches the large intestine and is used by bifidobacteria as a proliferation factor for bifidobacteria. It can be considered that fructo-oligosaccharide is a water-soluble dietary fiber that can reduce serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and will not cause a significant increase in blood sugar levels in the body after ingestion, so it can be used as a sweetener for patients with hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Fructooligosaccharide cannot be used as a fermentation substrate by Streptococcus mutans to generate insoluble glucan. It does not provide a place for oral microbial deposition, acid production, and corrosion (tartar). It is a low-corrosive anti-caries sweetener.

Galacto-oligosaccharides

Galacto-oligosaccharide has pure sweetness, low caloric value, 20% to 40% sweetness of sucrose, and strong moisturizing properties. Good thermal stability, even under acidic conditions. It is not digested by human digestive enzymes and has good bifidobacteria proliferation activity. Adults who consume 8 to 10g per day will have a significant increase in the number of bifidobacteria in their feces after a week. In addition to the common functions of galacto-oligosaccharides such as indigestibility, anti-caries properties, acid resistance, and heat resistance with other oligosaccharides, its effect on the proliferation of bifidobacteria is relatively obvious. It is commonly used in dairy products, baby food, confectionery, and baked goods.

Xylo-oligosaccharides

The health-care effect of xylo-oligosaccharides mainly lies in its improvement of intestinal flora. Xylo-oligosaccharides are easily stably utilized by Bifidobacterium bifidum, and oral administration of xylo-oligosaccharides can promote the proliferation of B. bifidum in the intestine. Xylo-oligosaccharides can also appropriately promote the proliferation of epithelial cells in the cecum. The functionality of xylo-oligosaccharides in the body has a beneficial effect on physiology and meets the needs of prebiotics. Prebiotics are a class of functional ingredients that are not digested and absorbed and can selectively stimulate and promote the growth of one or several intestinal microorganisms that are beneficial to host health, thereby improving host health. Therefore, xylo-oligosaccharides can be used as additives in functional foods. Functional foods are similar in appearance to traditional foods and are consumed as part of a normal diet. In addition to their nutritional functions, they also have health-care functions or the function of reducing the incidence of chronic diseases.

With the rapid development of China's economy and the improvement of people's living standards, nutritional and therapeutic foods are becoming more and more popular. People pay more attention to the quality, nutrition and health care properties of sweeteners, and the market prospects for the development of oligosaccharides will be very broad.