Efficacy of cellulase and mannanase hydrolysates of konjac glucomannan to promote the growth of lactic acid bacteria

Glucomannan polysaccharides may be hydrolysed to lower molecular weight molecules using acids or enzymes, specifically mannanases or cellulases. Mannanases (ß-mannanases) hydrolyse ß-(1–4)-linked mannose residues randomly in mannans whilst cellulases (ß-glucanase) hydrolyse ß-(1–4)-linked glucose residues. The molecular weight of the hydrolysate is clearly dependent on the amount of hydrolysis. One use of such hydrolysates has been towards their capacity to function as prebiotics. The relative efficacy of cellulase and/or mannanase hydrolysates of konjac glucomannan to promote the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been evaluated.