Verification of utilization ability of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus to difructose anhydride III in vitro by its hydrolases and their application in Jerusalem artichoke tuber to improve nutrition.

The functional Difructose anhydride III (DFA-III) lacks reported utilization by special probiotics of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. DFA-III hydrolase (DFA-IIIase), converting DFA-III to inulobiose, is a critical enzyme for the metabolism of DFA-III, which stands for the utilization ability of DFA-III by microorganisms. Hence, the research identified six potential DFA-IIIases from Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, suggesting that DFA-III has the potential to proliferate these bacteria. Notably, the DFA-IIIase from Bifidobacterium adolescentis belonging to the human intestinal microbe exhibits a hydrolysis rate of up to 67 % for DFA-III, which is the highest among the reported DFA-IIIases to date. When DFA-IIIases were applied to Jerusalem artichokes, DFA-III, inulobiose, and fructo-oligosaccharides were significantly produced. The in vitro work indicates that Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus have the potential ability to utilize DFA-III by DFA-IIIases. Moreover, the first application of DFA-IIIase in Jerusalem artichokes provides valuable insights into comprehensive strategies for utilizing high-inulin agricultural products.