Fructans are major components of carbohydrates in garlic(Allium sativum),which are not inulin-type.Their effect on short-chain fatty acids as prebiotics was evaluated in this study.Some neutral garlic fructans(GF) were prepared by ethanol fractionation precipitation.Those GFs were respectively added as a sole carbon source into in vitro fermentation cultures inoculated with human fecal bacteria.Short chain fatty acids(SCFA) production at 0h,4h,12h and 24h were investigated.Results indicated that some members of fecal bacteria utilized garlic fructans to grow and produce fatty acids in vitro.At 12h,the concentration of total short-chain fatty acids in all samples had increased to their highest level,and then decreased.Among them,the concentration of total short-chain fatty acids in sample A(average DP 11) was highest(86.38μmol/mL).The samples with production of total short-chain fatty acids from high to low were ranked as follows: sample a(DP 11),sample b(DP16),sample c(DP 21).At 24h,molar ratio of butyric acid or lactic acid was higher than that of acetic acid or propionic acid.Garlic fructans could be utilized by human feacal bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids.Comparing short-chain fatty acids production of each garlic fructan,sample with lower DP produced more fatty acids.