Galactooligosaccharides: Physiological benefits, production strategies, and industrial application.

The concern for better life quality has been encouraging the bioprocess industries to develop technological strategies to obtain new biomolecules. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are an important class of food-grade oligosaccharides, being classified as non-digestible, and which present prebiotic potential, promoting better conditions of health and well-being. The main benefits include the selective stimulation of beneficial microorganisms, the decrease in the formation of toxic compounds, the increase in the absorption of minerals, improvement of an immune response, and a reduction in the severity of obesity and diabetes.