文本框: PREBIOTICS AS A MODULATOR OF THE INTESTINAL FLORA IN FORMULA-FED INFANTS Boehm G Numico Research, Friedrichsdorf, Germany Objective: The bifidogenic effect of an experimental prebiotic oligosaccharide (OS) mixture consisting of low molecular weight galacto-OS and high molecular weight fructo-OS was analyzed in prospective placebo-controlled double blind studies in term and preterm infants. Methods: In preterm infants, the experimental OS mixture was used as supplement to a standard formula for preterm infants in a concentration of 1 g/dl. In term infants, a standard term infant formula was supplemented either with 0.4 g/dl or with 0.8 g/dl OS, respectively. In control formulas maltodextrin was supplemented as placebo. Infants fed with human milk were used as reference groups. Results: In the preterm infants, the number of bifidobacteria in the group fed the OS supplemented formula increased to the upper range of bifidobacteria counts in the reference group and the difference between the supplemented and the non-supplemented group was highly significant (p = 0.0008). In the term infants, the number of bifidobacteria was significantly increased for both supplemented formulas (vs. placebo p < 0.001) and this effect was dose dependent. In the group fed the formula supplemented with 0.8 g/dl the number of bifidobacteria was similar compared to the reference group. Also the number of lactobacilli increased significantly in both groups fed the supplemented formulas (vs. placebo: p < 0.001). The change of the faecal pH was significantly influenced (p = 0.0135) by the dosage of the supplement. Stool consistency decreased with increasing supplementation and stool frequency was significantly higher than in the control groups. Conclusion: The presented data indicate that supplementation of infant formulas with a mixture of galacto- and fructo-OS has a dose dependent stimulating effect on the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the intestine and results in stool characteristics close to those found in human milk fed infants. Thus, infant formulas supplemented with prebiotic mixtures such like the studied OS mixture might help to establish an intestinal flora close to that found during breast feeding.