prebioticn.adj.2
/ˌpriːbʌɪˈɒtɪk/, U.S. /ˌpribaɪˈɑdɪk/ A. n.
A non-digestible food ingredient that selectively promotes the growth of beneficial intestinal microorganisms (probiotics). Cf. probiotic n.
ΚΠ
1995 G. R. Gibson & M. R. Roberfroid in Jrnl. Nutrition 125 1401 Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacterial species already resident in the colon.
1998 Independent 3 Mar. i. 14/7 When you've been on the diet a while, some people use probiotics (eg live yoghurt) and prebiotics (specialised fibre food) from health food stores to encourage growth of good bacteria.
2001 Observer 1 Apr. (Life Suppl.) 45/1 The two main prebiotics are the non-digestible oligosaccharides inulin and oligofructose, the richest nutritional sources of which are chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, salsify, onions, wheat, bananas and other fruits, vegetables and grains.
B. adj.2
Promoting the growth of beneficial (probiotic) intestinal microorganisms; of or relating to prebiotics. Cf. probiotic adj.1
ΚΠ
1996 Carbohydrate Res. 287 183 The dianhydrides and related oligomers are thought to have a prebiotic effect by stimulating the proliferation of bifidobacteria in the large intestine.
1997 Scand. Jrnl. Gastroenterol. Suppl. 222 32 Several different types of in vitro fermentation systems are currently employed to investigate pro- and prebiotic activities in the human large intestinal microbiota.
2001 Jrnl. Med. Microbiol. 50 833 Supplementation of the human diet with prebiotic substances such as inulin and non-digestible oligosaccharides..has been associated with various health benefits.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
prebioticadj.1
/ˌpriːbʌɪˈɒtɪk/, U.S. /ˌpribaɪˈɑdɪk/ = prebiological adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > evolution > [adjective] > prebiological
prebiological1905
prebiotic1954
probiotic1954
1954 Science 29 Jan. 165/1 The formation of prebiotic organic compounds is attributed to branching chain reactions.
1973 B. J. Williams Evol. & Human Origins vii. 94/1 It was a closed system containing only water, the gases assumed to be present in the prebiotic atmosphere, and an energy source.
1996 Independent 29 July i. 20/5 The important step of going from ‘pre-biotic’ material—able to sustain life, but not independently capable of it—to self-replicating molecules such as RNA and DNA is firmly Earth-based.
Compounds
prebiotic soup n. = primordial soup n. at primordial adj. and n. Compounds.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > evolution > [noun] > primordial soup
Urschleim1921
primordial soup1962
prebiotic soup1966
1966 New Scientist 29 Dec. 740/2 There is a big gap between any of the postulated ‘prebiotic soups’ and the simplest organism subject to natural selection.
1994 Sci. News 26 Nov. 362/1 None of the molecules I work on were in the prebiotic soup.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.21995adj.11954