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Influence of the type of indigestible carbohydrate on plasma and urine short-chain fatty acid profiles in healthy human volunteers

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 64, pages 678–684 (2010)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Health effects of whole grain foods are becoming more evident. In this study, we analysed the short-chain fatty acid profiles in urine and serum derived from the colonic fermentation process of 13C-barley meals, prepared from barley grown under 13CO2 atmosphere.

Subjects/Methods:

In a crossover study, five volunteers ingested intact barley kernels (high content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and resistant starch (RS)) and barley porridge (high content of NSP only). Using a newly developed stable isotope technology, we monitored 14 and 24 h postprandially 13C-acetate, 13C-propionate and 13C-butyrate in plasma and urine, respectively. The oro-cecal transit time (OCTT) of the meals was measured with the hydrogen breath test.

Results:

The OCTT was 6 h and did not differ between the two test meals. An increase of 13C-acetate was observed already early after ingestion of the meals (<6 h) and was attributed to early fermentation of the test meal. A rise in plasma 13C-propionate in the fermentation phase could only be detected after the porridge and not after the kernel meal. An increase in 13C-butyrate was only found in the fermentation phase and was higher after the barley kernels. Urine 13C-short-chain fatty acids data were consistent with these observations.

Conclusions:

The difference in the profiles of 13C-acetate, 13C-propionate and 13C-butyrate indicates that NSP combined with RS results in an altered fermentation profile than dietary fibre alone.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D Binnema and P Sanders from TNO, Quality of Life, Groningen, The Netherlands for in vitro starch analysis of the test meals. This work was financially supported by the Commission of the European Communities, and specifically the RTD programme ‘Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources’, QLK 1-2001-00431 ‘Stable isotope applications to monitor starch digestion and fermentation for the development of functional foods’ (EUROSTARCH). This work does not necessarily reflect its views and in no way anticipates the Commission's future policy in this area. Further financial support was obtained from the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (F.W.O.-Vlaanderen, Belgium).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastrointestinal Research and Leuven Food and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    K Verbeke & L Henckaerts

  2. Human Nutrition Research Center, University of Nantes, Nantes, France

    V Ferchaud-Roucher & M Krempf

  3. Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, University of Glasgow, UK

    T Preston & A C Small

  4. Center for Medical Biomics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    H Wang, R J Vonk & M G Priebe

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  1. K Verbeke
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Correspondence to K Verbeke.

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Verbeke, K., Ferchaud-Roucher, V., Preston, T. et al. Influence of the type of indigestible carbohydrate on plasma and urine short-chain fatty acid profiles in healthy human volunteers. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 678–684 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.92

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