The effects of gelam and tualang honey on the growth and activity of bifidobacterium adolescentis / Nurul Akmal Saad

The intestinal microbiota plays an important role m maintaining host health. Bifidobacteria which inhabit gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) has antimicrobial properties that maintains gut function and contributes to the GIT defense system. Therefore, prebiotic as non-digestible carbohydrate with the ability to stimulate and enhance the growth of bifidobacteria has evoked great interest among researchers. Honey serves as potential sources of prebiotic. This study was carried out to investigate the potential prebiotic effect of Malaysian honey namely Gelam and Tualang to enhance the growth and activity of Bifidobacterium adolescentis ATCC 15705, a probiotic in modified De Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) media. The growth promoting effects of both honeys were compared with commercial fructooligosaccharide (FOS). Inoculated samples were incubated anaerobically at 37 °C for 48 h. Samples were collected at 0, 24 and 48 h incubation and examined for specific growth rate, viability of bacteria and level of fermentation (acid and lactic acid production) as measured by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that, both honey enhanced (p<0.05) the growth and activity of B.adolescentis. The production of lactic acid was enhanced (p<0.05) when bifidobacteria was grown in the presence of Gelam and Tualang honey compared with FOS. The results obtained demonstrated that both types of local honey supported the growth and activity of B.adolescentis better than FOS. However, Gelam honey 5% (w/v) showed the highest prebiotic effect compared to Tualang honey.