Exploring for prebiotic potential of extracts from <i>in vitro</i> tubers of Jerusalem artichoke ( <i>Helianthus tuberosus</i> L.)

Abstract Tubers of Jerusalem artichoke (JA) were in vitro induced and evaluated for inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides production. As a result, sugars detected in in vitro tubers (IVT) were similar to natural tubers (NTs). A significant increase in inulin content of IVT was observed relative to the extension of culture duration (p &amp;lt; .05). Regarding prebiotic properties, the hydrolysis tolerance of the IVT extracts to simulated gastrointestinal conditions, the non-significant difference of the specific growth rate of Lactobacillus plantarum TISTR543 in MRS containing IVT and NT powder, and the prebiotic activity score with non-significant difference between IVT and NT as well as a short-chain fatty acid detection in the fermented IVT and NT indicated the prebiotic potential of IVT. Thus, this is the first report investigating and revealing the prebiotic properties of JA tuber induced under in vitro conditions. In comparison to the traditional manner, this approach offers enhanced prebiotic yield and a significantly reduced production time.