JPH02234667A - Proliferation promoter for lactobacillus bifidus and production thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a proliferation promoter having effects on selective proliferation of Lactobacillus bifidus by heating a mixed aqueous solution of sorbitol and glucose in the presence of an acid catalyst and binding the glucose to the sorbitol through beta-bonds. CONSTITUTION:A mixed aqueous solution of sorbitol and glucose is heated in the presence of an acid catalyst (e.g. hydrochloric or citric acid) to bind the glucose to the sorbitol through beta-bonds and form beta-glucosylsorbitol, which is used as an active ingredient to product a proliferation promoter for Lactobacillus bifidus. Disaccahride glucose parts in which the glucose is bound to the sorbitol through the beta-bonds or tri-, tetra- or pentasaccharides in which 1-3 glucoses are bound to the sorbitol part through the beta-bonds are also effectively used as the proliferation promoter for the Lactobacillus bifidus. Furthermore, the weight ratio of the glucose to the sorbitol used is preferably 0.2-5 and the reaction temperature is preferably 70-150 deg.C.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a bifidobacterium growth promoter comprising an oligosaccharide that is selectively utilized by bifidobacteria to grow and multiply them, and a method for producing the same. be.

More specifically, bifidobacterium containing as an active ingredient a disaccharide in which glucose is bonded to sorbitol by β1-1, β1-6 or β1-4 (herein, these bonds are collectively referred to as β-bonds). A growth promoter, a Bifidobacterium growth promoter whose active ingredient is a trisaccharide, tetrasaccharide, or pentasaccharide in which 1 to 3 glucose molecules are β-linked to the glucose moiety or sorbitol moiety of the disaccharide, or the disaccharide. ,
The present invention relates to a bifidobacteria growth promoter whose active ingredient is a composition comprising two or more types of saccharides selected from the group consisting of the trisaccharide, the tetrasaccharide, and the pentasaccharide, and a method for producing the above bifidobacterium growth promoter.

(Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention) Bifidobacteria (a general term for bacterial species belonging to Bifidobacterium+) grow in the intestines of mammals including humans and birds, and suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria. It is known to have the function of suppressing the decay and production of harmful substances in the interior of the cabinet, as well as producing useful substances such as vitamins. As a result, it has the effect of suppressing constipation, diarrhea, and even cancer, and is said to be useful for maintaining and promoting the health of living organisms.

Therefore, the search for substances (bifidobacteria growth promoters) that selectively proliferate only bifidobacteria and promote their growth/proliferation, thereby maintaining good intestinal function, is ongoing.

Sugars that function as bifidobacteria growth promoters include raffinose, lactulose, and baratinose, an isomer of sucrose (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-91193).
, fructooligosaccharides in which 1 to 4 fructose molecules are bonded to sucrose (Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-53834), branched oligosaccharides having α1-6 bonds of glucose molecules (Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-2
2777) and the reduction product of the branched oligosaccharide (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6
2-145020), a reduced product of isomaltosyl monoglucose (Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-51585), and the like are known.

All of the above-mentioned sugars are at a somewhat satisfactory level in terms of their ability to promote the growth of Bifidobacterium. However, when looking at manufacturing methods, many of them are expensive due to complicated processes and expensive raw materials. Additionally, some commercially available sugar products made using conventional manufacturing methods contain a considerable amount of sucrose derived from raw materials, but sucrose can cause harmful bacteria to grow inside the sugar. Not only that, but it can also cause tooth decay and obesity. Therefore, in order to make products manufactured by conventional methods into highly pure products that do not contain sucrose, it is necessary to further increase the purification process.
This poses a problem in that the cost of the product becomes even higher.

Under these circumstances, it is possible to produce sucrose without using sucrose as a raw material.
Furthermore, it has been desired to develop an inexpensive bifidobacteria growth promoter and a method for producing the same.

(Means for Solving the Problems) As a result of intensive research into bifidobacteria growth promoters, the present inventors found that a disaccharide in which glucose is β-bonded to sorbitol, or a glucose moiety or a sorbitol moiety of the disaccharide, Furthermore, trisaccharides to pentasaccharides in which one to three glucose molecules are β-linked selectively proliferate Bifidobacterium, and E.
scherichiacoli, Clostridi
um perfringenss Bacteroid
It was discovered that harmful bacteria in the intestines such as S. esvulgatus do not proliferate.

An oligosaccharide in which glucose is α-linked to sorbitol (
As mentioned above, it is described in JP-A-62-145020 and JP-A-62-51686 that α-glucosyl sorbitol (hereinafter referred to as α-glucosyl sorbitol) has bifidobacterial growth promoting activity. It is believed that disaccharides, or trisaccharides and pentasaccharides in which 1 to 3 glucoses are β-linked to the glucose moiety or sorbitol moiety of the disaccharide, have the effect of selectively proliferating bifidobacteria. , was discovered for the first time by the present inventors.

The present inventors also used glucose and sorbitol, which are both cheap as raw materials, in the presence of an acid catalyst, which is also cheap.
It has been found that a composition containing the above disaccharides to pentasaccharides can be obtained simply by heat treatment. The method of the present application is a manufacturing method that is lower in cost and has a simpler manufacturing process than a manufacturing method using enzymes.

The invention will be described in more detail below.

One of the objects of the present invention is that sorbitol contains glucose
A disaccharide connected by a bond, or 1 to 3 glucose units β in the glucose moiety or sorbitol moiety of the disaccharide
The present invention relates to a bifidobacteria growth promoter containing bound trisaccharides to pentasaccharides (hereinafter referred to as β-glucosylsorbitol). However, to illustrate β-glucosyl sorbitol as used in the present invention with respect to disaccharides and trisaccharides, the disaccharides include β-D-glucosyl-(1-1)-D-sorbitol, β-D-glucosyl-(1-4)- D-Solbi 1
・-1.
6) -β-D-glucosyl-(1-1)-D-sorbyl, β-D-glucosyl-(1-6)-β-D
-Glucosyl-(1-4)-D-sorbitol, β-D
-glucosyl(1-6)-β-D-glucosyl-(1
-8)-D-sorbitol and the like.

The form in which the β-glucosyl sorbitol used in the present invention is used can be freely selected, such as in the form of a syrup obtained by production, or after powdering the syrup by an appropriate means.

As a specific example of utilizing the bifidobacteria growth promoting effect of β-glucosylsorbitol, it can be used alone as a bifidobacteria growth agent. Furthermore, by adding it to a suitable food, the food can be made to increase the number of bifidobacteria in the intestine. When serving as above, mix with live bifidobacteria.)
If so, the effect of increasing intestinal bifidobacteria will be even higher. Note that β-glucosyl sorbitol alone has about 1/8 sweetness compared to sucrose, and when mixed with α-glucosyl sorbitol obtained by the production method of the present invention, it has about 1/6 the sweetness of sucrose. Therefore, it can be used as a sweetener alone or in combination with other flavoring agents. Furthermore, β-glucosyl sorbitol is used in the production of foods and sweeteners that have the above-mentioned effect of promoting the growth of bifidobacteria, as well as as a medium component for the growth or mass production of bifidobacteria in the fermentation industry and microbiological research. We can also expect it to be used.

When β-glucosylsorbitol is used as a bifidobacterial growth promoter, it may be purified into a single compound as necessary, or it can be purified into a single compound as required, or it can be used as a β-glucosyl sorbitol of multiple types obtained according to the production examples described below. - A mixture consisting of glucosylsorbitol compounds may be used as a composition without being purified. Furthermore, as the reaction products described in Examples 1 to 5, β-gluconrusorubi 1
・A mixed composition of alcohol and α-glucosyl sorbitol can also be used as a bifidobacteria growth promoter.

Known methods can be used to produce β-glucosylsorbitol according to the present invention, but as is clear from Table 1 shown later, the effectiveness of β-glucosylsorbitol as a bifidobacteria growth promoter is determined by the manufacturing method. It doesn't change anything depending on II1. In order to remove glucose derived from the reaction substrate from the reaction product, which causes harmful bacteria other than Bifidobacterium to grow in the intestines and causes tooth decay and obesity,
The property of activated carbon to adsorb oligosaccharides such as β-glucosylsorbitol and α-glucosylsorbitol more strongly than monosaccharides such as glucose and sorbitol (Na
Kanishi, K. at al. :(+983
) Enz. Microbiol. Technol.
, 5, 115-120), the reaction products containing disaccharides to pentasaccharides obtained by various production methods are passed through an activated carbon column, and the adsorbed saccharides are eluted with an aqueous ethanol solution. Just add it.

In the following production examples, as a method of producing the reaction product so that it does not contain α-glucosylsorbitol, a method of producing it by reacting β-glucosidase on a mixed aqueous solution consisting of glucose and sorbitol and performing a reverse reaction of hydrolysis; and a production method for reducing an oligosaccharide (cellooligosaccharide in this production example) having a β bond that does not have sorbitol in its structure. In addition, it can also be produced by utilizing a reaction in which sugar is transferred from an oligosaccharide having a β bond, such as a cellooligosaccharide, to sorbitol using a glycosyltransferase.

(Production Example 1: By using β-glucosidase) Glucose Ig and sorbitol IE were dissolved in 0.1M acetate buffer (pH 5.0), and almond-derived β-glucosidase (manufactured by Sigma) was added. 5mgcioo
Unit) was added and the mixture was allowed to react for 2 days while being kept at 37°C. After inactivating the enzyme by heating, it was diluted with distilled water and the enzyme was removed by filtration, and the resulting filtrate was analyzed by IIPLc, and it was found that 54% was a β-glu 101 cosyl sorbitol composition. Ta. This syrupy reaction product was adsorbed onto an activated carbon column (2 cmφ x 50 am), and the column was thoroughly washed by passing 300+nQ of distilled water. Next, the adsorbed matter was eluted with 200 lO% aqueous ethanol solution and concentrated using an evaporator to obtain 0.73 g of syrup.

When this syrup was analyzed by HPLC, it was found that 6 disaccharides were present.
5%, trisaccharides 23%, tetrasaccharides 10%, pentasaccharides 2%
It was a β-glucosyl sorbitol composition consisting of.

(Production Example 2: By reduction of oligosaccharides having β-bonds)
Gentiobiose (structure is β-D-glucosyl- (1
-6) Ig (1D-glucose) was dissolved in 25 ml+ of distilled water, and sodium borohydride of Ig was added little by little. It was then stirred for 1 hour, and then 2% acetic acid 50
- was added little by little. After further stirring for 1 hour, the reaction solution was concentrated using an evaporator. After dissolving the concentrate in distilled water, a
m).

+1- Furthermore, the obtained permeate was subjected to a column of Amberlite CG-400 manufactured by Tokyo Organic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (2 cIl
φ×50c■). After concentrating the permeate using an evaporator, the concentrated residue was dissolved in two bottles of distilled water and adsorbed on an activated carbon force ram (2 cm + φ x 50 cm). After thoroughly washing the activated carbon column by passing 300 m9 of distilled water through the column, a lo% ethanol aqueous solution 2
Eluted at 0M. When the eluate was concentrated using an evaporator, 350 mg of almost pure β-D glucosyl (
1-6)-D-Sorbitol was obtained.

Next, a method for producing β-glucosylsorbitol, which is another object of the present invention, will be described. The method of the present invention is a method for producing a β-glucosylsorbitol composition using glucose and sorbitol as raw materials and heating an aqueous solution of the raw material mixture in the presence of an acid catalyst. When this production method is used, unlike the production method using an enzyme as a catalyst, a mixture of β-glucosylsorbitol and α-glucosylsorbitol is produced, but β12-glucosylsorbitol and α-glucosylsorbitol are Since both are selective bifidobacteria growth promoters, the mixture can be used as a bifidobacterium growth promoter.

Here, the acid catalyst includes mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, organic acids such as acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid, and succinic acid, and even H4 type cation exchange resins.

When using a mineral acid or an organic acid as an acid catalyst, it is added to a mixed aqueous solution of glucose and sorbitol.

When using an H4 type cation exchange resin as an acid catalyst, it can be added to a mixed aqueous solution of glucose and sorbitol in the same way as when mineral acids or organic acids are used as acid catalysts, or the ion exchange resin can be packed in a column. , a mixed aqueous solution of glucose and sorbitol is passed through. Next, regarding the heating temperature, if it is 70°C or higher, the reaction will proceed;
The higher the temperature, the faster the reaction rate; however, when the temperature exceeds 120°C, the reaction product begins to be colored, and when the temperature exceeds 150'C, the degree of coloration becomes significant. Therefore, the practically applicable temperature range is 70 to 150℃, and 85 to 120℃ considering both the improvement of reaction rate and the appearance of the product.
A range of is preferred.

In order to remove unreacted glucose and sorbitol from the reaction composition obtained by the above production method, as described in Production Example 1 and Production Example 2, the reaction composition is passed through an activated carbon column. , the sugars adsorbed on the column may be eluted with an ethanol aqueous solution or the like.

(Examples) The present invention will be described below as examples, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. In addition,
As mentioned above, the glucosyl sorbitol produced in the examples regarding the production method is a mixture of β-glucosyl sorbitol and α-glucosyl sorbitol, so this mixture is simply referred to as glucosyl sorbitol in the examples. .

(Example 1: Production method using hydrochloric acid as an acid catalyst) 10
Dissolve 0 g of glucose and 300 mg of sorbitol in distilled water and adjust the total amount to 0.0 g. 5m9, and lOΔ
13 concentrated hydrochloric acid was added, and the mixture was allowed to react for 3 hours while maintaining the temperature at 85°C. After the reaction was completed, it was cooled and O. The reaction solution was neutralized with 1N NaOH to obtain a sloppy reaction product. When the composition of this reaction product was analyzed by HPLC, the total amount of unreacted glucose and sorbitol was 47.1%, the disaccharide gluconorbitol was 372%, and the trisaccharide glucosylsorbitol was 15.7%. %Met.

(Example 2: Production method using citric acid as an acid catalyst) 250-g distilled water was put into 22 reaction vessels immersed in an oil bath heated to 85°C, and the distilled water was mixed with a stirring device. While stirring vigorously, 500 g of glucose and 500 g of sorbitol were alternately added in small portions into the reaction vessel. After adding all of the glucose and sorbitol, 20 g of citric acid was added to the reaction vessel, and the temperature of the oil bath was raised to 105°C. After stirring for 40 hours to carry out the reaction, the temperature of the oil bath was lowered to 80°C and 0.8N NaO}I was added to neutralize the reaction product.

Distillation of 500- = 15- water was added to this to dilute it while keeping the temperature of the oil bath at 80°C. After taking out the syrup-like reaction product and cooling it, the composition of the reaction product was analyzed by HPLC, and it was found that the total content of glucose and sorbitol was 45.2%, and the disaccharide glucosylsorbitol was 38%.
1%, and the trisaccharide glucosylsorbitol was 16.7%.

The syrup-like reaction product after dilution obtained above was diluted with 1.5
The column was taken out, passed through an activated carbon force column (2 cmφ x 50 cm), and adsorbed onto it.The column was thoroughly washed by passing 500 mm of distilled water through it, and then all the adsorbed sugars were eluted with 500 mm of a 20% ethanol aqueous solution, and concentrated using an evaporator. Thus, 0.62 g of syrupy composition was obtained (experiment was carried out using this composition in Example 5 below). When this composition was analyzed by HPLC, the total content of glucose and sorbitol was less than 2%, with the disaccharide glucosylsorbitol accounting for 64% and the trisaccharide glucosylsorbitol accounting for 34%.

(Example 3: Manufacturing method using H1 type cation exchange resin as an acid catalyst in batch mode) 250 g of distilled water was put into a container immersed in an oil bath at 85° C., and while stirring vigorously, 500 g of glucose was added.
and 500 g of sorbitol were added to dissolve these. Dry H4 type Dowex 50 is added to this mixture aqueous solution.
50 g of W-X8 ion exchange resin (manufactured by Dow Chemical Company) was added, and the temperature of the oil bath was raised to 105° C., and the mixture was allowed to react with stirring for 40 hours.

After the reaction, cool the oil bath to 85°C and add distilled water to 85°C.
After diluting by adding 0.0 liters of water, the reaction mixture was passed through a filter to remove the ion exchange resin.

Distilled water was added to the obtained filtrate to obtain a total of 29 syrups.

This syrup was analyzed by HPLC and IOOMHZ "C NM"
Detailed analysis by R revealed that glucose and sorbitol are α1-1, α1-6, β1-1 or β1-
It was found that glucosylsorbitol, which is a hexa-linked disaccharide, and glucosylsorbitol, which is a trisaccharide or more, in which glucose is further bonded to the disaccharide glucosylsorbitol, are contained. The ratio of glucosylsorbitol consisting of disaccharides or more to the total sugars was 59%.

(Example 4: Production method using H4 type cation exchange resin power ram as acid catalyst) 5 g of glucose and 5 g of sorbitol were dissolved in 8 bottles of distilled water, and 3 g of H4 type DOWEX 50W-X8 was dried.
Column packed with ion exchange resin (2 cm φX50c
m) about 1 load of the aqueous solution using a peri-click pump.
Continuous circulation was started at a rate of 1 minute.

The reaction was continued by continuing circulation for 16 hours. While the aqueous solution was being circulated, the column was immersed in oil and kept at 85°C. After the reaction was completed, the bomb was stopped and the circulating liquid in the form of syrup was taken out from the column. When the composition was analyzed by l{PLO,
Glucosylsorbitol was contained at a rate of 45%. Further, the syrup was subjected to 100 Mtlz I3C NMR, and the resulting spectrum was analyzed in more detail.
It was found that glucosyl sorbitol, which consists of a disaccharide with β1-1 or β1-6 bonds, and glucosyl sorbitol, which consists of glucosyl sorbitol +8-, which consists of the disaccharide and trisaccharide or more, in which one or more glucose is further bonded, are contained. .

(Example 5: Selective action of glucosylsorbitol to promote growth of Bifidobacteria) The bacteria used were Bifidobacteria as Bifidobacteria.
te-rium breve (RIKEN preserved stock T. SI; hereinafter referred to as B. brave)
idobacterium infantis (RIKEN preserved strain type S12; hereinafter referred to as B. infantis)
), Blfidobacterium bi
fidum (RIKEN stock aE319; hereinafter B
．． bifidum), Blfidobacterium
rium longum (ATCC 1570
8; Below B. Lactobacillus acido (called Lactobacillus longum)
phllus (JCM 1132: hereafter L.ac i
doph l Ius) and Escherichia coli (JC
M 1649; hereinafter referred to as E. coli) N En
terococcus faecalis (ATCC
19433; hereinafter Ent. faecalis), Bacte-roldes vulgatus
(JCM 5828; hereafter Bact.vulgat
us)X Clostridium perf
ringens (JCM 3817; hereinafter referred to as C. per
It was called fringens).

The medium used was LB fermentation test medium for Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and PYF Pros (Peptide) for other bacteria.
one yeast extract
solutionbroth) was used. The composition of the medium is as follows.

Fallen Rat Invasion 1 Bacto-Liver (Difco) Leachate
1.000ntQProteose peptone
No. 3 (Difco) 10g Trypti
case (BBL) 5gYe
ast extract (Difco)
3gTween 80
1gSolution B
5ynllL-cysteine-Hcl-H
20 0.2 g indicator solution
20 Agar (Dirco)
Is 1.5gpo for bifidobacteria? ．． 2.L. acidophilus, it was adjusted to 6.5.

In the above table, Bacto-Liver infusion solution refers to Bacto-Liver infusion solution.
to-Liver (D+fco) 5.5 g to 1.05
This is the filtrate obtained by adding 0+u9 purified water-20-1, infusing in a 50-60°C hot bath for about 1 hour with occasional stirring, and then filtering with a filter paper.
\Soluti
on B means Mg2SOa4}1p0 10g1
FeSOA4H20 0.5g1NaCI 0.5g.
and MnSO40.337 g were dissolved in 250 m9 of purified water.

The indicator solution is L. acldophllus, 1 g of chlorophenol red was diluted with 0.1N
Make it slightly alkaline with NaOH and add purified water to a total volume of 500m.
In the case of identifying bifidobacteria, promocresol purple Ig was dissolved in a small amount of pure methanol, made slightly alkaline with 0.1N NaOH, and made with purified water to a total i of 1500m9.

PYF Broth Tryptone (BBL)
10gYeast extract (Dirco)
5gFildes solution
40wn9Saltssolut
[on 40dL-cystei
ne4cl-H20 0.5
g Purified water 9201 pH was adjusted to 7.2.

The method for creating the Fildes solution in the table above is as follows. 150 ml of physiological saline, 6 liters of concentrated hydrochloric acid, 50 d of horse blood, and pevcin (1:10,000, Difc
o) Add Ig to 250ml2 flask and mix well.
Horse blood is digested with pepsin by leaving it overnight in a water bath kept at 55°C. 20% NaOH solution 12
-, so that I)l'l becomes exactly 7.6 N
Correct with aOH or HCI. The Fildes solution thus prepared was added with 2 ml of chloroform and stored in a refrigerator.

How to make the Salts solution in the table above is as follows. Anhydrous CaCl20.2g+! :MgSOn
Dissolve 0.2g in 300ml of purified water, then add 500ml of purified water while stirring the solution well.
O41 gsKHaPOa 1 g, NaHC031
Add 0 g and 2 g of NaCl to dissolve completely, and then add 2 g of NaCl.
Add 00 m9 of purified water and mix. The Salt=21-solution thus prepared is stored at 4°C.

For these media, components other than the indicator solution are dissolved by heating, IIM is adjusted to the specified value, and the indicator solution is added.
Steam incubation was performed at 1°C for 20 minutes.

Filtered β-glufusyl sorbitol with a purity of 90%, 100 Ill of the glucosyl sorbitol composition finally obtained in Production Example 1, Production Example 2 or Example 2 of the present invention
100 d of g/Iu9 aqueous solution was aseptically added to 2 d of the above-mentioned sterilized medium. On the other hand, as a control, 100 mg each of glucose, raffinose, sorbitol, and α-glucosyl sorbitol with a purity of 90%/100 g of aqueous solution
d was added aseptically to the two sterilized mediums described above to prepare a medium. The above was used as the medium used in this example.

50 ρ of physiological saline containing each of the above bacteria (bacteria concentration is approximately 10"~!09 cells/barb) was added to each culture medium prepared as above.
They were planted and culture started. Bifidobacteria% B
act. C. vulgatus and C. vulgatus. perfrin
gens under anaerobic conditions using the GasPack method.
The other bacteria were each cultured at 37° C. for 3 days under aerobic conditions with stirring using a rotary shaker.

Bacterial growth was determined by using the decrease in pH of the medium as the main indicator, taking measurements into account. The criteria for judgment are as follows. As a general rule, if the pH of the culture medium containing bacteria decreases by 2.0 or more, using a medium that is kept under the same culture conditions as above without adding bacteria, it is classified as citrus, 1.01~
2.0 is ox, 0.51-1.0 is shi, 0.
Those with a rating of 31 to 0 and 50 were designated as -, and those with a rating of 0.30 or less were designated as -. In addition, a visual evaluation of turbidity was taken into consideration and the final judgment of bacterial growth was made. The results are shown in Table 1.

(The following is a blank space) = 24 As shown in Table 1, β-glucosyl sorbitol with a purity of 90% or the glucosyl sorbitol composition obtained in Production Example 1, Production Example 2, or Example 2 of the present invention are all bifidus. While N has the effect of promoting bacterial growth,
Bact. vulgatuss E. coll
and C. Perfringens has no growth-promoting effect at all, and has very high selectivity for Bifidobacteria.

On the other hand, raffinose, which is conventionally thought to selectively grow Bifidobacteria, is Bact. Vulgatu
s and C.S. parfringens grows considerably. Furthermore, α-glucosylsorbitol, which has a very similar structure to β-glucosylsorbitol according to the present invention, is also found in Bact. C. vulgatus and C. vulgatus. It has the effect of proliferating perfringens.

From the above, it is shown that β-glucosylsorbitol is superior to conventionally known bifidobacteria growth promoters in selectivity for bifidobacteria.

I"2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A bifidobacteria growth promoter containing a disaccharide in which glucose is β-linked to sorbitol as an active ingredient. 2. A bifidobacteria growth promoter comprising a trisaccharide, tetrasaccharide, or pentasaccharide as an active ingredient, in which 1 to 3 glucoses are further β-linked to the glucose moiety or sorbitol moiety of the disaccharide according to claim 1. 3. Bifidobacteria growth promotion using a composition comprising two or more types of saccharides selected from the group consisting of the disaccharide according to claim 1 and the trisaccharide, tetrasaccharide, and pentasaccharide according to claim 2 as an active ingredient. agent. 4. The method for producing a bifidobacteria growth promoter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mixed aqueous solution of sorbitol and glucose is heated in the presence of an acid catalyst. 5. The method for producing a bifidobacteria growth promoter according to claim 4, wherein the acid catalyst is selected from the group consisting of mineral acids, organic acids, and H^+ type cation exchange resins. 6. Weight ratio of glucose to sorbitol is 0.2
5. The manufacturing method according to claim 4. 7. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the heating temperature is 70°C to 150°C.