María Luz Sanz – författare

A growing awareness of the relationship between diet and health  has led to an increasing demand for foodproducts that support health beyond simply providing basic nutrition. Digestivehealth is the largest segment of the burgeoning functional food market worldwide. Incorporation of bioactiveoligosaccharides into foods can yield health benefits in the gastrointestinaltract and other parts of the body that are linked via the immune system.Because oligosaccharides can be added to a wide variety of foodstuffs, there ismuch interest within the food industry in incorporating these functionalingredients into healthy food products. Moreover, other areas such aspharmaceuticals, bioenergy and environmental science can exploit thephysicochemical and physiological properties of bioactive oligosaccharides too.There is therefore a considerable demand for a concentrated source ofinformation on the development and characterization of new oligosaccharideswith novel and/or improved bioactivities.Food Oligosaccharides: Production, Analysis and Bioactivityis a comprehensive reference on thenaturally occurring and synthesised oligosaccharides, which will enable foodprofessionals to select and use these components in their products. It isdivided into three sections: (i) Production and bioactivity ofoligosaccharides, (ii) Analysis and (iii) Prebiotics in Food Formulation. Thebook addresses classical and advanced techniques to structurally characterize andquantitatively analyse food bioactive oligosaccharides. It also looks at practicalissues faced by food industry professionals seeking to incorporate prebioticoligosaccharides into food products, including the effects of processing onprebiotic bioavailability. This book is essential reading for food researchersand professionals, nutritionists and product developers working in the foodindustry, and students of Food Science with an interest in functional foods.