Investigation of carbohydrates, and in-vitro antimicrobial and prebiotic effects of alfalfa extract in comparison with inulin

Background: The alfalfa plant with the scientific name Medicago Sativa is called the queen of forages due to its high nutritional value.On the other hand, studies have shown that alfalfa has an effect on the intestinal microbial composition and its function.Inulin is also a compound with natural prebiotic properties that is used in various products.The aim of this study was to investigate carbohydrates, and in-vitro antimicrobial and the prebiotic activities of alfalfa extract compared to inulin.Materials and methods: Extraction from the aerial part of alfalfa was done by maceration method.Then the carbohydrates and prebiotic effect of alfalfa extract compared to inulin on the growth of two bacteria lacticasei bacillus casei and lactiplanti bacillus plantarum and also its effect on the antimicrobial activity of their supernatant were investigated.Results: Alfalfa extract showed more prebiotic properties than inulin, so that growth and antimicrobial effect of two bacteria, Lacticasei bacillus casei and Lactiplanti bacills plantarum, in the medium containing 2.5% extract were more than the medium containing inulin with the same amount.Conclusion: In this study, an acceptable prebiotic property was obtained for alfalfa extract compared to the inulin, which makes alfalfa a suitable candidate for further studies to modulate the intestinal microbiome of humans and animals.