Combined effect of oligosaccharides combination on the growth of probiotics: synergistic or superposable?

Summary Synbiotics confer benefits to our health. Study on the promotion effects of prebiotics combinations on probiotics growth is necessary for synbiotics preparation. However, there exists few reports on how to combine different prebiotics. The aim of the study was to explore combined effect of prebiotics combinations in modulating probiotics growth for rational synbiotics development. Four prebiotic oligosaccharides were screened for their promotion effects on the growth of four representative probiotics. Then, SynergyFinder 3.0 was used for the first time to rationally analyse interaction of various oligosaccharides combinations. Results showed that there was no synergism between any of two oligosaccharides under the conditions studied, but rather a superposition effect. Finally, the optimal oligosaccharides combinations based on the maximum specific growth rate and the maximum cell yield were selected. This study advanced our knowledge of oligosaccharides utilisation by probiotics and provided guidance on the rational selection of oligosaccharides combinations for specific probiotics, which was important for the design of synergistic synbiotics.