Combinations of indigestible carbohydrates affect the short-chain fatty acid content in the hind-gut of rats
Author
Summary, in English
The fermentability and pattern of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) formed in the hindgut of rats given various combinations of dietary fibers (DF) and resistant starch (RS) were investigated. Highly fermentable indigestible carbohydrates, i.e., guar gum (GG), pectin (Pec) and high amylose cornstarch (HAS), and a DF with a relatively high resistance to fermentation, i.e., wheat bran (WB), were included. The substrates were studied individually or as mixtures (GG + Pec, GG + WB and HAS + WB, 1:1, wt/wt indigestible carbohydrate basis) at a total concentration of 100 g indigestible carbohydrates/kg diet and fed to rats for 13 d. Rats fed Pec had a high proportion of acetic acid in the cecum (76 ± 2% of total SCFA), whereas those fed GG had the highest proportion of propionic acid (31 ± 4%, P <0.0005). Rats fed GG and Pec had low proportions of butyric acid (6 ± 1 and 10 ± 1%, respectively), whereas those fed both had a higher proportion of butyric acid (15 ± 3%, P < 0.05). Consequently, the cecal butyric acid pool was twice as high in rats fed the GG + Pec mixture (44 ± 9 µmol) as in those fed the individual components (19 ± 2 and 21 ± 3 µmol, respectively, P < 0.05). Rats fed HAS with WB had a greater fecal excretion of SCFA (184 ± 19 µmol/d) than those fed the individual components (77 ± 10 and 116 ± 12 µmol/d in rats fed HAS and WB, respectively P < 0.05), suggesting that incorporation of WB delayed the site of fermentation of HAS to the distal part of the hindgut. In conclusion, the combination of indigestible carbohydrates may affect both SCFA patterns and the site of SCFA release in the rat hindgut
Department/s
Publishing year
2002
Language
English
Pages
3098-3104
Publication/Series
Journal of Nutrition
Volume
132
Issue
10
Links
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Topic
- Nutrition and Dietetics
Keywords
- resistant starch
- dietary fiber
- fermentation
- short-chain fatty acids
- rats
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1541-6100