TABLE 2.
The evolution of the changes in the scientific definitions of “prebiotic”1
| Year | Definition | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | A nondigestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon, and thus improves host health. | Gibson and Roberfroid (1) |
| 2003 | Nondigestible substances that provide a beneficial physiologic effect on the host by selectively stimulating the favorable growth or activity of a limited number of indigenous bacteria. | Reid et al. (2) Inaugural ISAPP Meeting |
| 2004 | A selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and health. | Gibson et al. (3) |
| 2007 | A selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora, that confer benefits upon host well-being and health. | Roberfroid (4) IDF/FAO Meeting |
| 2008 | A nonviable food component that confers a health benefit on the host associated with the modulation of the microbiota. | FAO Technical Meeting (5) (2007) |
| 2010 | A selectively fermented ingredient that results in specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefits upon host health. | Gibson et al. (6) ISAPP 6th Annual Meeting |
| 2015 | A nondigestible compound that, through its metabolization by microorganisms in the gut, modulates the composition and/or activity of the gut microbiota, thus conferring a beneficial physiologic effect on the host. | Bindels et al. (7) |
1
IDF, International Dairy Federation; ISAPP, International Scientific Association for Prebiotics and Probiotics.