Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms

Previous studies have shown that fructans, a soluble dietary fiber, are beneficial to human health and offer a promising approach for the treatment of some diseases. Fructans are nonreducing carbohydrates composed of fructosyl units and terminated by a single glucose molecule. These carbohydrates ma...

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Main Authors: Elena Franco-Robles, Mercedes G. López
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2015-01-01
Series:The Scientific World Journal
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/289267
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spelling doaj-b4dba8f6ba3f44698ccb4697350194082020-11-25T01:21:54ZengHindawi LimitedThe Scientific World Journal2356-61401537-744X2015-01-01201510.1155/2015/289267289267Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant MechanismsElena Franco-Robles0Mercedes G. López1Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Irapuato, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, GTO, MexicoCentro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Irapuato, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, GTO, MexicoPrevious studies have shown that fructans, a soluble dietary fiber, are beneficial to human health and offer a promising approach for the treatment of some diseases. Fructans are nonreducing carbohydrates composed of fructosyl units and terminated by a single glucose molecule. These carbohydrates may be straight or branched with varying degrees of polymerization. Additionally, fructans are resistant to hydrolysis by human digestive enzymes but can be fermented by the colonic microbiota to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolic by-products that possess immunomodulatory activity. The indirect role of fructans in stimulating probiotic growth is one of the mechanisms through which fructans exert their prebiotic activity and improve health or ameliorate disease. However, a more direct mechanism for fructan activity has recently been suggested; fructans may interact with immune cells in the intestinal lumen to modulate immune responses in the body. Fructans are currently being studied for their potential as “ROS scavengers” that benefit intestinal epithelial cells by improving their redox environment. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of fructans interaction with the intestinal immune system, the gut microbiota, and other components of the intestinal lumen to provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying the effects of fructans on health and disease.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/289267
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Elena Franco-Robles
Mercedes G. López
spellingShingle Elena Franco-Robles
Mercedes G. López
Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms
The Scientific World Journal
author_facet Elena Franco-Robles
Mercedes G. López
author_sort Elena Franco-Robles
title Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms
title_short Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms
title_full Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms
title_fullStr Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms
title_full_unstemmed Implication of Fructans in Health: Immunomodulatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms
title_sort implication of fructans in health: immunomodulatory and antioxidant mechanisms
publisher Hindawi Limited
series The Scientific World Journal
issn 2356-6140
1537-744X
publishDate 2015-01-01
description Previous studies have shown that fructans, a soluble dietary fiber, are beneficial to human health and offer a promising approach for the treatment of some diseases. Fructans are nonreducing carbohydrates composed of fructosyl units and terminated by a single glucose molecule. These carbohydrates may be straight or branched with varying degrees of polymerization. Additionally, fructans are resistant to hydrolysis by human digestive enzymes but can be fermented by the colonic microbiota to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolic by-products that possess immunomodulatory activity. The indirect role of fructans in stimulating probiotic growth is one of the mechanisms through which fructans exert their prebiotic activity and improve health or ameliorate disease. However, a more direct mechanism for fructan activity has recently been suggested; fructans may interact with immune cells in the intestinal lumen to modulate immune responses in the body. Fructans are currently being studied for their potential as “ROS scavengers” that benefit intestinal epithelial cells by improving their redox environment. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of fructans interaction with the intestinal immune system, the gut microbiota, and other components of the intestinal lumen to provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying the effects of fructans on health and disease.
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/289267
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