Isomalto/Malto-polysaccharide, a novel soluble dietary fiber made via enzymatic conversion of starch

Dietary fibers are at the forefront of nutritional research because they positively contribute to human health. Much of our processed foods contain, however, only small quantities of dietary fiber, because their addition often negatively affects the taste, texture, and mouth feel. There is thus an urge for novel types of dietary fibers that do not cause unwanted sensory effects when applied as ingredient, while still positively contributing to the health of consumers. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a novel type of soluble dietary fiber with prebiotic properties, derived from starch via enzymatic modification, yielding isomalto/malto-polysaccharides (IMMPs), which consist of linear (α1 → 6)-glucan chains attached to the nonreducing ends of starch fragments. The applied Lactobacillus reuteri 121 GTFB 4,6-α-glucanotransferase enzyme synthesizes these molecules by transferring the nonreducing glucose moiety of an (α1 → 4)-glucan chain to the nonreducing end of another (α1 → 4)-α-glucan...