Functional properties of curry paste in relation to digestibility and fermentation by gut microbiota

The prebiotic properties of sour curry paste in the upper gut and the gut microbiota were investigated in vivo during digestion. The effect of the addition of garcinia as souring agent in curry paste was studied. Curry paste without garcinia (P1) and curry paste with garcinia (P2) increased the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiota, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, and significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the number of harmful bacteria (Clostridia). Fecal fermentation with P1 resulted in a prebiotic index (PI) of 1.19, whereas fermentation with P2 resulted in a PI of 2.75. The fermented metabolites produced were lactic acid; vitamins; and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. P1 produced metabolites including lactic acid, SCFAs, and B vitamins in higher amounts than P2. After a 24 h fermentation period with colonic microbiota, P1 produced vitamins B1 (18.38 ± 0.10 µg/ml) and B2 (45.28 ± 2.02 µg/ml) but not folic acid, whereas P2 produced only vitamin B1 (5.99 ± 0.48 µg/ml).