Non-digestible oligosaccharides: A review

Non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDOs) are low molecular weight carbohydrates of intermediate in nature between simple sugars and polysaccharides. They can be obtained by direct extraction from natural sources, or produced by chemical processes hydrolyzing polysaccharides, or by enzymatic and chemical synthesis from disaccharides. The NDOs possess important physicochemical and physiological properties, and are claimed to behave as dietary fibers...