Plant polysaccharides and mucins are probably the most important nutrition agents for bacterial growth and maintenance in the large intestine. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of mucin and oligofructose on bifidobacteria propagation in vitro. The growth and acidifying activity of the strains in the minimal nutrition medium containing 0.2 or 2.0% of oligofructose, mucin or a mixture of oligofructose and mucin at a ratio of 1:1 in comparison to lactose, as the control, was examined after 24-h incubation at a temp. of 37°C. Among ten strains tested the growth of six, belonging to B. longum and B. animalis subsp. animalis, and B. animalis subsp. lactis, in the presence of oligofructose was comparable or significantly higher in comparison to lactose. Mucin was utilized by B. bifidum strains and by one B. breve strain. The growth of five out of nine mucin- or oligofructose-utilizing strains in the presence of the higher dose of the substrate in the culture medium was significantly stimulated by the mixture of oligofructose and mucin (p≤0.05). The results observed indicate that intestinal mucins may influence the growth of Bifidobacterium and bacterial ecology in the intestine.