Artificial fiber complexes composed of cellulose and guar gum of psyllium may be better sources of soluble fiber for rats than comparable fiber mixtures
1994
Hara, Hiroshi | Saito, Y. | Nagata, M. | Tsuji, M. | Yamamoto, K. | Kiriyama, S.
Three fiber complexes composed of cellulose and the same weight of guar gum, cornstarch or psyllium were constructed as three-dimensional networks of cellulose fiber filled with the soluble components. Physiological properties of these fiber complexes were examined in comparison with a mixture of powdered cellulose and the corresponding polysaccharides at a ratio of 1:1 in rats. Another group of rats was fed a fiber-free diet. Body weight gain in the guar gum-cellulose mixture group, but not in guar gum-cellulose complex group, was lower than that of the fiber-free group. The cecal walls in the groups fed the guar gum-cellulose and psyllium-cellulose mixture diets were heavier than those in the corresponding fiber complex-fed groups. Weights of the small intestinal wall and ileal mucosa were also greater in the guar gum-cellulose mixture-fed group than in the guar gum-cellulose complex-fed and the fiber-free diet-fed groups. Fermentable energy in dietary fiber estimated from fecal energy excretion, short-chain fatty acid contents and in vitro short-chain fatty acid production rates in the cecum of the complex-fed groups were similar to those in the fiber mixture-fed groups. However, butyric acid content and production rate in the group fed the guar gum-cellulose complex were markedly higher than in the other groups. The lowering effects of guar gum-cellulose and psyllium-cellulose mixtures on plasma cholesterol concentration tended to be greater than those of guar gum-cellulose and psyllium-cellulose complexes. These findings demonstrate that the artificial fiber complexes supply soluble fibers without increasing mechanical stress to the intestines and decreasing cecal fermentation.
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