Food Oligosaccharides; Contents; Contributors; Preface; I Production and Bioactivity of Oligosaccharides; I.I Naturally Occurring Oligosaccharides; 1 Bioactivity of Human Milk Oligosaccharides; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Structural uniqueness of human milk oligosaccharides; 1.2.1 Lewis blood group and secretor-specific components in milk; 1.2.2 Total human milk oligosaccharides content and concentrations of single components; 1.3 Human milk oligosaccharides and their functions in the gastrointestinal tract; 1.3.1 Human milk oligosaccharides and gut microbiota.

1.3.2 Human milk oligosaccharides and antiadhesion effects1.3.3 Human milk oligosaccharides and effects on epithelial cells and immune modulation; 1.4 Human milk oligosaccharides and systemic effects; 1.5 Human milk oligosaccharides and studies in animals and humans; 1.6 Conclusion and perspective; Acknowledgment; References; 2 Production and Bioactivity of Bovine Milk Oligosaccharides; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Bovine milk oligosaccharides' composition; 2.2.1 Colostrum versus mature milk bovine milk oligosaccharides composition; 2.2.2 Comparison with human milk oligosaccharides' composition.

2.3 Bovine milk oligosaccharides concentration2.4 Resistance to digestion; 2.5 Oligosaccharides biological activities; 2.5.1 Bifidogenic activity; 2.5.2 Pathogen prevention; 2.5.3 Viral inhibition; 2.5.4 Brain development; 2.5.5 Immunomodulation; 2.6 Isolation approaches; 2.7 Conclusion; Acknowledgments; References; 3 Production and Bioactivity of Oligosaccharides in Plant Foods; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Chemical structure and natural occurrence of oligosaccharides in plant foods; 3.2.1 Fructan type oligosaccharides; 3.2.2 -Galactooligosaccharides.

3.3 Production of naturally occurring plant oligosaccharides3.3.1 Extraction; 3.3.2 Depolymerization; 3.3.3 Concentration; 3.3.4 Purification; 3.4 Scientific evidence on the bioefficacy of plant oligosaccharides and mechanisms of action; 3.4.1 Studies of plant oligosaccharides on gut microbiota; 3.4.2 Studies of plant oligosaccharides on immune system; 3.4.3 Studies of plant oligosaccharides on mineral absorption; 3.4.4 Studies of plant oligosaccharides and lipid metabolism; 3.4.5 Studies of plant oligosaccharides and glucose homeostasis.

3.4.6 Studies of plant oligosaccharides and regulation of food intake, fat mass and body weight3.4.7 Study of plant oligosaccharides on oxidative stress; 3.5 Conclusions and future perspectives; References; 4 Production and Bioactivity of Oligosaccharides from Chicory Roots; 4.1 Production of oligosaccharides from chicory roots; 4.1.1 Dynamics of inulin biosynthesis and biodegradation in the chicory root; 4.1.1.1 Introduction; 4.1.1.2 Biosynthesis of inulin in the chicory root; 4.1.1.3 Biodegradation of inulin in the chicory root; 4.1.1.4 Resulting composition of chicory root.