Prebiotics in non-dairy products: Technological and physiological functionality, challenges, and perspectives

Vegan consumers look for fresh, tasty, and nutritious products that use eco/animal-friendly ingredients. Prebiotics are substrates selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit. This study aimed to overview the potentially vegan products added with prebiotics, their health benefits, and the main technological and sensory challenges. The main potentially vegan products added with prebiotics studied were based on watersoluble plant-based extracts (fermented beverages, frozen desserts, cheese analog), fruits (fruit juices, fruit jelly, and ready to eat fruits), and cereals (snack bars, granola bars, bread, and cookies). The main prebiotic compounds used were inulin, fructooligosaccharides, oligofructose, polydextrose, and xylooligosaccharides. The effects of prebiotic on food products', host health, and technological and sensory properties depended on the prebiotic type and dosage, food matrix, and subject type. The positive health effects were related to skin health, gut microbiota improvement, hypocholesterolemic impact, reduction of the risk of metabolic diseases, and improvements in postprandial blood glucose and insulin response. Prebiotics could improve vegan products' technological and sensory properties, such as fermentation time, texture and rheological properties, storage length, sensory acceptance, and probiotic survival. Furthermore, they could increase the concentration and/or bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and vitamins. However, it is of paramount importance the determination of prebiotic stability. The trends direct to new prebiotic compounds based on microalgae, fruit and cereal byproducts, and seeds. This review provides industries and researchers with important information about prebiotics and vegan products.

Automated summary

This review discusses the types of potentially vegan products added with prebiotics, their health benefits, and the challenges in terms of technology and sensory properties. Inulin, fructooligosaccharides, oligofructose, polydextrose, and xylooligosaccharides are the main prebiotic compounds used. Prebiotics can improve the technological and sensory properties of vegan products and have positive effects on skin health, gut microbiota, cholesterol levels, and postprandial blood glucose and insulin response.