Prebiotics: why definitions matter.

Hutkins, Robert W Krumbeck, Janina A Bindels, Laure B. [UCL] Cani, Patrice D. [UCL] Fahey, George Goh, Yong Jun Hamaker, Bruce Martens, Eric C Mills, David A Rastal, Robert A Vaughan, Elaine Sanders, Mary Ellen et al.[show all]

The prebiotic concept was introduced twenty years ago, and despite several revisions to the original definition, the scientific community has continued to debate what it means to be a prebiotic. How prebiotics are defined is important not only for the scientific community, but also for regulatory agencies, the food industry, consumers and healthcare professionals. Recent developments in community-wide sequencing and glycomics have revealed that more complex interactions occur between putative prebiotic substrates and the gut microbiota than previously considered. A consensus among scientists on the most appropriate definition of a prebiotic is necessary to enable continued use of the term.