POTENTIAL PREBIOTIC EFFECTS OF MUSHROOM EXTRACTS ON THE VIABILITY OF BIFIDOBACTERIUM BIFIDUM

Abstract

Prebiotics are included in many food formulations, especially in dairy products, in order to promote the growth of probiotics along with improvement of the nutritional quality. In this study, the ability of Bifidobacterium bifidum to ferment mushroom extracts as a potential prebiotic substrate was investigated. It was found that B. bifidum employed in the current work was able to ferment selected mushroom extracts.