33G-30 |
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K. A. NOLEN, A. R. Francis, K. L. McCutcheon, and M. Hegsted. School of Human Ecology, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, 130 Human Ecology Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Gastrointestinal (GI) problems are more common in cultures consuming Western diets which are lower in indigestible starches and fiber. Increasing fiber intake may improve GI health. High-amylose resistant starch (RS) and short chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) are naturally resistant to digestion and act as fiber in the GI tract. Colonic bacteria ferment RS and scFOS in the colon to produce short-chain fatty acids which are the preferred energy source of colonocytes. scFOS is an oligosaccharide (>10 sugar units) and composed of glucose terminated fructose monomers. As a prebiotic fiber, it is fermented in the lower intestinal GI tract by beneficial bacteria and is not classified as a starch chemically or functionally. We hypothesize that RS and scFOS produce the benefits of fiber by producing softer stools, lower cecal pH, and increased growth of GI tissue. The objective was to determine GI changes in rats placed on control, RS, and scFOS diet treatments for a 12-week feeding study. Twenty-four 4-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three diet treatment groups; control, 5% RS and 5% scFOS. Feces were collected for seven days at weeks 1 and 12. Organ weights and pH were measured at sacrifice. At week 12, scFOS increased fecal wet weight, but there were no differences in dry fecal weights. scFOS increased empty cecal and cecal content weights, and lowered cecal pH. Neither scFOS nor RS had any effect food intake or on the weights of the body, organs, abdominal cavity fat, or other GI organs. 5% scFOS increased fermentation resulting in cecal hypertrophy, larger cecal volumes, and higher water content in the feces; however, 5% RS did not. This has implications for a healthier colon and softer stools in humans consuming scFOS.
Session 33G, Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods: Lipid and probiotic functional foods
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