Efficacy of Inulin Supplementation on the Growth and Survivability of Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium breve in Model Sugar Systems

The efficacy of inulin supplementation (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) on the growth and survivability of Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium breve in 2%, 3%, and 4% sucrose, fructose, glucose, and lactose systems was investigated. The highest growth-promoting effect was observed in 3% sucrose with 1% inulin supplementation for B. longum and 2% lactose with 3% inulin supplementation for B. breve after 24 h at 37 °C. In a survival study, lactose supplemented with inulin showed improvement in the cell viability of B. longum followed by sucrose, fructose, and glucose at 37 °C for 10 days. As for B. breve, inulin supplementation in sucrose and lactose showed improved cell viability more than fructose and glucose. This study demonstrated that the beneficial effect of inulin supplementation on probiotics like Bifidobacterium can be achieved but was dependent on the concentration and type of sugar present, concentration of inulin, and its efficacy differed between bacterial strains.