Low-calorie solutions and prebiotics

The human digestive system consists of a complex series of organs and glands regulating the processing of food. The process starts in the mouth, where the food breaks down by chewing, and the digestive enzymes in the saliva. Then in the stomach the gastric phase of digestion takes place. At the final stage the food is mixed with enzymes produced by the pancreas, after which the content passes the gastrointestinal tract. The undigested food particles end up in the large intestine, where they are fermented by the gut microbiome, consisting of approximately thousand bacterial species. CarbExplore is an expert in manufacturing, purification and analysis of prebiotic food compounds, such as Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), Isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO), Isomalto-/maltopolysaccharides (IMMP), milk oligosaccharides, and N-glycans of milk proteins. These potential prebiotic food components support the growth of the microorganisms that provide a health benefit.

CarbExplore has a library with a broad range of Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes, e.g. glucansucrase enzymes (dextransucrases, mutansucrases, reuteransucrases, alternansucrases), alpha-glucanotransferases, beta-galactosidases and fructansucrase enzymes (inulosucrases, levansucrases). These enzymes are able to convert substrate molecules into the products of interest. We are able to enzymatically modify the carbohydrate structures and functions of the targeted substrates, introducing changes in the degree of polymerization (DP), branching degree, and glycosidic linkages present (α1→2), (α1→3), (α1→4) and (α1→6) (in linear or alternating chains). Our scientists use several techniques (HPLC, HPAEC-PAD, NMR, methylation analysis, MALDI-TOF, HP-SEC) to structurally analyze the products, and to isolate the products of interest.