OBJECTIVE: To verify the bifidogenic effect of fructooligosaccharides in patients with hematological neoplasia submitted to chemotherapy. METHODS: This is a clinical, randomized, double-blind study done in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of the Oncology Research Center of Florianopolis. It involved 25 patients divided into 2 groups who received 12g of fructooligosaccharides (n=14) for 15 days or placebo (maltodextrin) (n=11). The amount of bifidobacteria and the values of fecal pH before and after supplementation were investigated. RESULTS: Most of the studied population was male (72%) and the mean age was 34 years. The group that received supplementation presented a significant increase in the amount of bifidobacteria (p<0.05) and fecal pH remained unchanged in both groups. CONCLUSION: Supplementation increased the amount of bifidobacteria, interfering in the composition of the intestinal flora, but fecal pH was not affected.
bifidogenic microbiota; fructooligosaccharide; hematologic neoplasms
