Production of isomalto-oligosaccharides with tailored technological and nutritional functionalities

The project will assess functional benefits of an isomalto-oligosaccharide preparation. Isomalto-oligosaccharides are functional oligosaccharides that are applied as functional food ingredients to reduce the caloric content and the glycemic load, as a source of dietary fibre, and to support homeostasis of intestinal microbiota. Regulatory approval of the products and the functional claims requires scientific support related to the digestibility and the impact on glucose homeostasis in humans. This project will evaluate the digestibility and the glycemic lead of isomalto-oligosaccharide in animal models and in humans. Experiments with the commercial product will be complemented with experimental oligosaccharide preparations with defined linkage type and degree of polymerization to improve our understanding on the digestibility of isomalto-oligosaccharides. The project will support marketing of a successful commercial product to secure long-term manufacturing capacity for functional oligosaccharides in Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Gänzle

Student:

Justina Su Zhang

Partner:

BioNeutra

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta