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Abstract
Functionally distinct dietary fibre sources may be combined in reformulated foods to restore a natural spectrum of health attributes. Effects of wheat bran (WB), psyllium husk, guar gum and Raftilose™ combinations on hydrated faecal mass (HFM), were determined. A valid rat model was fed diets supplemented with 10% WB, 10% WB with 1–6% psyllium in 1% steps, and 10% WB/5% psyllium with 1–7% guar gum or 1–6% Raftilose in 1% steps. Fully hydrated faecal pellets gave HFM values in the human range, increasing by 2.4 ± 0.29 g per gram of WB ingested, and by 15.6 ± 1.52 g per g of psyllium. Equations for incremental changes in HFM predicted intakes of fibre combinations required for adequate daily HFM, and it is shown how expressing relative effects of foods on HFM as functional equivalents would allow quantitative personalised management of HFM for reduced constipation and colorectal cancer in humans.
Acknowledgements
Sheridan Martell, Hannah Dinan and Susanne Middlemiss-Kraak assisted with animal maintenance, feeding and faecal collection.
Ethical approval
The animal study was approved by the AgResearch Animal Ethics Committee, Palmerston North, New Zealand, (Permit no: AEC 13069) broadly in accordance with ARRIVE guidelines, U.K. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 and associated guidelines, EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments, and the USA National Institutes of Health guide for use of Laboratory animals (NIH Publications No. 8023, revised 1978).
Author contributions
The author (J Monro) conceived the study, designed the experiment, formulated and prepared the diets, measured faecal hydration, analysed the results, and wrote the paper.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.