Probiotic lactic acid bacteria were grown on erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol or lactitol and produced various derivatives: gal-erythritol, gal-xylitol, and gal-sorbitol as prebiotics. Galactosyl derivatives of erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol were metabolised by Lactobacillus spp. This resulted in their antagonistic activity against the test microflora. No activity was observed in the presence of xylitol and erythritol. Gal-sorbitol obtained by enzymatic transglycosylation from lactose had the same abilities of inducing the antagonistic activity of lactic acid bacteria that lactitol had.