Role of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum in Degradation and Consumption of Xylan-Derived Carbohydrates.

Xylans, a family of xylose-based polysaccharides, are dietary fibers resistant to digestion. They therefore reach the large intestine intact; there, they are utilized by members of the gut microbiota. They are initially broken down by primary degraders that utilize extracellular xylanases to cleave xylan into smaller oligomers.