Bioactive Oligosaccharides Production, Biological Functions and Potential Commercial Applications

This book presents an overview on different pathways leading to the production of bioactive oligosaccharides for biotechnological applications. Mostly, these carbohydrate oligomers constitute a nutritional source of "fibre" (prebiotic) that is beneficial to bacterial growth in the lower distal part of the human intestinal tract promoting health, and general well-being. Oligosaccharides, like some of their polysaccharide counterparts, can induce innate immune responses, and this unique property has led to potential applications for their commercialisation as immunoceuticals.