scholarly journals The effects of a supplement of dietary fibre on faecal excretion by human subjects

1979 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia J. Prynne ◽  
D. A. T. Southgate

1. Four human subjects on strictly controlled diets were given a fibre supplement, 25 g Ispaghula husk (Isogel)/d, for 3 weeks.2. Replicate diets and faeces were collected during two 5 d balance periods. The first period served as control for the second which occurred after the supplement had been fed for 2 weeks.3. Diets and faeces were analysed for total solids, gross energy, total nitrogen, fat, available and unavailable carbohydrates.4. Three of the four subjects showed a considerable increase in faecal bulk; total faecal weight was more than doubled in two subjects. In two subjects the increase was brought about mainly by extra fibre in the faeces accompanied by a higher proporation of faecal water whereas in one subject it was also an increased excretion of nutrients. One subject showed very little change in faecal bulk.5. High values for the apparent digestibility of fibre were found during the control period; from 0.70 to 0.80. There was more variation during the experimental period when apparent digestibility of total fibre ranged from 0.47 to 0.82. Values arrived at for the minimum apparent digestibility of the fibre supplement were generally high; one subject appeared to digest Isogel completely. Isogel was degraded preferentially to the food-derived fibre; in particular, cellulose in the faeces was increased during the experimental period.6. Only one subject showed distinct decreases in the apparent digestibility of energy, N and fat in the diet. The results do not therefore agree with the generally held view that increased fibre in the diet decreases the apparent digestibility of the other nutrients.

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma N. Bermingham ◽  
Paul Maclean ◽  
David G. Thomas ◽  
Nicholas J. Cave ◽  
Wayne Young

BackgroundMuch of the recent research in companion animal nutrition has focussed on understanding the role of diet on faecal microbiota composition. To date, diet-induced changes in faecal microbiota observed in humans and rodents have been extrapolated to pets in spite of their very different dietary and metabolic requirements. This lack of direct evidence means that the mechanisms by which microbiota influences health in dogs are poorly understood. We hypothesised that changes in faecal microbiota correlate with physiological parameters including apparent macronutrient digestibility.MethodsFifteen adult dogs were assigned to two diet groups, exclusively fed either a premium kibbled diet (kibble;K;n = 8) or a raw red meat diet (meat;M;n = 7) for nine weeks. Apparent digestibility of macronutrients (protein, fat, gross energy and dry matter), faecal weight, faecal health scores, faecal VFA concentrations and faecal microbial composition were determined. Datasets were integrated using mixOmics in R.ResultsFaecal weight and VFA levels were lower and the apparent digestibility of protein and energy were higher in dogs on the meat diet. Diet significantly affected 27 microbial families and 53 genera in the faeces. In particular, the abundances ofBacteriodes,Prevotella,PeptostreptococcusandFaecalibacteriumwere lower in dogs fed the meat diet, whereasFusobacterium,LactobacillusandClostridiumwere all more abundant.DiscussionOur results show clear associations of specific microbial taxa with diet composition. For example, Clostridiaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae and Bacteroidaceae were highly correlated to parameters such as protein and fat digestibility in the dog. By understanding the relationship between faecal microbiota and physiological parameters we will gain better insights into the effects of diet on the nutrition of our pets.


1979 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 477-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Cummings ◽  
D. A. T. Southgate ◽  
W. J. Branch ◽  
H. S. Wiggins ◽  
Hellen Houston ◽  
...  

1. The effect of dietary fibre digestion in the human gut on its ability to alter bowel habit and impair mineral absorption has been investigated using the technique of metabolic balance.2. Five healthy male students were studied for 9 weeks under controlled dietary conditions and during the last 6 weeks they took 36 g pectin/d. Bowel habit, transit through the gut, faecal fibre excretion, calcium balance and faecal composition were measured.3. During the control period only 15% of the dietary fibre ingested was excreted in the stools and when pectin was added to the diet there was no increase in fibre excretion. Stool frequency and mean transit time were unchanged by pectin but stool wet weight increased by 33% and faecal excretion increased (%) for fatty acids 80, nitrogen 47, total dry matter 28 and bile acids 35. Ca balance remained unchanged.4. It may be concluded from these results that dietary fibre is largely metabolized in the human gut and dietary pectin completely so. This could explain its lack of effect on bowel habit and Ca balance. Other changes in the faeces may be related to an increase in bacterial mass.


1954 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Balch ◽  
D. A. Balch ◽  
S. Bartlett ◽  
V. W. Johnson ◽  
S. J. Rowland ◽  
...  

1. Digestibility trials were conducted, and the rate of passage of hay was measured, with five Shorthorn cows during a period of normal diet and during two experimental periods in which diets low in hay and high in concentrates were given. In the first experimental period the concentrates were cubes of the wartime type sold as National Cattle Food No. 1, and containing a variety of constituents; in the second they were a mixture offlakedmaize (50%), weatings (35%) and decorticated ground-nut cake (15%). For convenience these are referred to as concentrate ‘cubes’ and ‘mixture’ respectively.2. During the initial and final control periods the cows consumed daily 17–21 lb. hay, and about 4·5 lb. concentrates per 10 lb. of milk produced. In the initial control period the concentrates were the concentrate cubes, and in the final they were the concentrate mixture. The hay was reduced to 4 lb. daily during the two experimental periods and the remainder of the standard requirements of the animals were met by concentrates. The concentrates were the cubes in the first experimental period and the mixture in the second experimental period.3. Seducing the hay to 4 lb. did not affect the fat content of the milk when the other food in the diet was the concentrate cubes, but there was a striking mean fall of 1·04% fat when the cubes were replaced by the concentrate mixture. This represented a loss of over 30% in the yield of fat.4. Digestibility trials, conducted in the initial control and first and second experimental periods, indicated that the fall in milk fat content was not the result of changes in the amounts of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, cellulose, cellulosans or pentosans not in cellulose digested. The essential difference between the diet of low hay with the concentrate mixture and the other diets given in this experiment was that it provided a high intake of starch yet had little of the physical property of roughage. It is concluded that depression of milk fat content results from a combination of these two factors and probably originates from changes in the physical and biochemical processes of the reticulo-rumen.5. The intake of starch equivalent, as calculated from the intake of digestible nutrients, was close to standard requirements in all periods of the experiments, but there was a surplus of digestible crude protein.6. The mean solids-not-fat content of the milk rose 0·48% at the time of the fall in milk fat, and this was entirely due to an increase in milk protein. After the return to normal diets the recovery of solids-not-fat was slower, but no less complete, than the recovery in milk fat.


2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 849-853
Author(s):  
Hamilton Hisano ◽  
Marco Aurélio Lopes Della Flora ◽  
José Luiz Pilecco ◽  
Simone Mendonça

Abstract:The objective of this work was to evaluate the apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients, energy, and amino acids of nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes treated with solvent plus posterior extrusion, for Nile tilapia. The apparent digestibility coefficients of crude protein and gross energy were higher for detoxified than for nontoxic physic nut cake. However, the apparent digestibility coefficient of ether extract of the nontoxic physic nut cake was higher than that of the detoxified one. The apparent digestibility coefficient of amino acids of both feed ingredients was superior to 80%, except for glycine, for the nontoxic psychic nut cake, and for threonine, for the detoxified one. Nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes show apparent digestibility coefficient values equivalent to those of the other evaluated oilseeds and potential for inclusion in Nile tilapia diets.


2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 1032-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony R. Bird ◽  
Michelle S. Vuaran ◽  
Roger A. King ◽  
Manny Noakes ◽  
Jennifer Keogh ◽  
...  

Himalaya 292(Hordeum vulgarevar.Himalaya 292) is a novel hull-less barley variety lacking activity of a key enzyme of starch synthesis giving a grain containing less total starch, more amylose and higher total dietary fibre. Animal trials have shown thatHimalaya 292contains more resistant starch and has greater positive impact on biomarkers of large-bowel health than comparable wholegrain cereal products. The present study compared the effects of foods made from wholegrainHimalaya 292with those made from wholegrain wheat on faecal biomarkers of bowel health in human subjects. Seventeen male and female volunteers aged 31–66 years consumed similar quantities ofHimalaya 292, whole-wheat or refined cereal foods daily for 4 weeks in a randomised cross-over design. Total dietary fibre intakes from weighed food records were 45, 32 and 21 g/d for theHimalaya 292, whole-wheat and refined cereal periods, respectively. Compared with the refined cereal foods, consumption ofHimalaya 292foods resulted in 33 % higher faecal weight, a lowering of faecal pH from 7·24 to 6·98, a 42 % higher faecal concentration and a 91 % higher excretion of butyrate, a 57 % higher faecal total SCFA excretion and a 33 % lower faecalp-cresol concentration. pH and butyrate concentration and excretion were also significantly different compared with wholemeal wheat. It is concluded that consumption of a diet that included foods made fromHimalaya 292supplied more fibre and improved indices of bowel health compared with refined cereal foods and, for some indices, similar wholemeal wheat foods at equivalent levels of intake.


1978 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Fears

1. The effect of caffeine (2.5 g/kg diet) on lipid metabolism was examined in rats fed on a stock (low-cholesterol) diet or on a cholesterol plus cholic acid-supplemented (high-cholesterol) semi-synthetic diet.2. When caffeine was included in the stock diet fed to rats for 7 d, there was a moderate but significant increase in the concentration of serum cholesterol compared to the levels observed in the control rats. This change can be accounted for by the increase that was observed in the rate of cholesterogenesis in the liver.3. After 25 d of caffeine in the stock diet, hepatic cholesterogenesis was still increased but the concentration of serum cholesterol was now the same as in the control rats. During the experimental period there was a progressive increase in the faecal excretion of neutral sterols in the rats receiving caffeine.4. When caffeine was added to a cholesterol plus cholic acid-supplemented diet, there was a marked increase in the concentration of serum cholesterol but hepatic cholesterogenesis was now reduced.5. Caffeine in the high-cholesterol diet appeared to delay, but probably did not reduce, the absorption of an oral dose of radio-labelled cholesterol. This conclusion was confirmed using rats which had not previously received either caffeine or cholesterol in the diet.6. When the effect of caffeine in the high-cholesterol diet was investigated during a 24 h period, an exacerbation of the hypercholesterolaemia was seen only at certain times.7. After a 4-month period of feeding rats on the caffeine-supplemented high-cholesterol diet, histological examination did not detect any damage to the heart and aorta.8. The metabolic regulations involved in the effects of caffeine in the two diets are discussed and the relevance of the present results to observations made with human subjects is considered.


1994 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Bach Knudsen ◽  
Elisabeth Wisker ◽  
Martina Daniel ◽  
W. Feldheim ◽  
B. O. Eggum

The apparent digestibility of energy, protein, fat and non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) of low and high dietary fibre (DF) mixed diets were studied in three series of experiments with man and the rat. Low DF diets were used as control diets in each experimental series and the DF level was increased by adding fruits and vegetables (Study 1), citrus fibre concentrate (Study 2) and insoluble barley fibre (Study 3), In Study 3 the high DF diet was fed at two protein levels. There was in most cases good agreement between the digestibility of energy between man and the rat, with the digestibility of energy of the low DF control diets of 0.941–0.950 in man compared with 0.933–0.952 in the rat and of the high DF diets of 0.897–0.931 in man and 0.865–0.920 in the rat. The biggest difference in digestible energy between the two species was found for the diet enriched with fruits and vegetables (0.032 absolute units) and citrus fibre concentrate (0.025 absolute units). Apparent digestibility of protein was slightly lower in man than in the rat for all diets in Studies 1 and 2. In Study 3, however, apparent digestibility of protein was consistently lower in man than in the rat with differences in absolute digestibilities between the two species varying from 0.023 (high DF/high protein) to 0.071 (high DF/low protein). The digestibility of fat was the same in man and in the rat in all but the high DF diet of Study 2. The rat appears to have a lower capacity to digest fibre polysaccharides than man and the digestibility of NSP was consistently lower in the rat than in man. The biggest difference between the two species was found for the diets in Study 2 where the digestibility of NSP in man was measured to be 0.774–0.885 compared with only 0.501–0.517 in the rat. For the other diets the differences in NSP digestibility were 0.077–0.137 absolute units. In spite of some differences between man and the rat in their ability to digest nutrients the various diets are ranked in the same order by the two species.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3568
Author(s):  
Markku Saastamoinen ◽  
Susanna Särkijärvi ◽  
Heli Suomala

Six Finnhorse mares were used in a digestibility trial, in which six typical horse diets were compared. The diets were: (A) haylage 100%; (B) hay 100%; (C) hay 70% and oats 30%; (D) hay 70% and soybean meal + oats 30%; (E) hay 70%, rapeseed meal + oats 30% and (F) hay 70 %, linseed meal + oats 30%. The trial was conducted according to an unbalanced 6 × 4 Latin square design with four 3-week experimental periods. The experimental period consisted of 17-day preliminary feeding which was followed by a 4-day total faecal and urine collection periods to evaluate N excretion. The digestibilities of DM (p < 0.001) and OM (p < 0.001) in the haylage-only diet were lower compared to the other diets. The supplemental protein feeds improved the diet digestibility of CP (p = 0.002) compared to a hay + oats diet. Furthermore, the DM (p = 0.019), OM (p = 0.006), and CP (p = 0.016) digestibilities of the soya-supplemented diet were better than those of the rapeseed- and linseed-supplemented diets. Faecal excretion was greater for haylage (19.3 kg fresh faeces and 3.6 kg DM/day) and hay (18.7 kg fresh faeces and 3.6 kg DM/day) diets (p < 0.001) compared with the other diets. Urine excretion was also greater for forage-only diets compared with diets including protein supplements. Horses excreted 14.0 L urine/day on haylage-only diet (p = 0.026) and 14.3 L/day on a hay-only diet (p = 0.003). Horses excreted more nitrogen in their urine than in dung. N excretion differed between the diets. Horses on a haylage-only diet excreted 51.6 g N in faeces /day and on hay-only diet 51.4 g N/day. On the other hand, when protein content in forages increased, N excretion via urine increased (haylage vs. dried hay). Horses excreted less N in urine with hay-only diet than with haylage-only or protein-supplemented diets (p < 0.001). When N excreted in faeces and urine was counted together, horses excreted less N with a hay-only diet (p < 0.001) than with a supplemented one (oats and/or protein feeds). The results showed that feed choices affected the amount of nitrogen excreted. Feeding recommendations should consider not only the horse category and work level, but also the protein source. When good quality protein is fed, smaller N intakes can be applied to reduce the N excretion via urine and dung. At the farm level, improved understanding of feed quality, as well as feeding planning and practices, is a way to decrease the risk of N leaching and evaporation.


1974 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ivan ◽  
L. R. Giles ◽  
A. R. Alimon ◽  
D. J. Farrell

SUMMARY1. A split-plot design was used to study apparent digestibility of dry matter, gross energy and nitrogen of a whole grain wheat diet and processed (hammermilled, rolled or hammermilled and then steam-pelleted) wheat diets by eight small (33·9 ± 0·1 kg) and eight large (70±1·7 kg) pigs. Metabolizable energy and nitrogen retention were also studied with the small pigs.2. The processed wheat diets were superior to the whole grain wheat diet in all the parameters measured.3. There were no significant differences between the performance of pigs given the differently processed wheat diets.4. Apparent digestibility of dietary components particularly in the whole wheat diet was significantly higher when diets were given to small pigs than when given to large pigs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 555 ◽  
pp. 652-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbu Cristian Braun ◽  
Ileana Constanta Rosca

The paper describes a new method of body equilibrium evaluation applied for different human subjects, the principal aim being to demonstrate to what extent any locomotory diseases could influence the body stability and equilibrium. The research refers to identify some persons with different locomotory diseases and to find both the influence on equilibrium and stability and if possible to improve them. Our research stage, synthesized in this paper, explains the body equilibrium evaluation in orthostatic posture done for different subjects, aged between 20 and 40 years. A number of 10 relevant persons were considered to be evaluated, 2 of them having some locomotory diseases. The first person presents any neuro-motor stability problems in case of long standing case. The other person has both Achilles tendons torn and operated. All subjects were tested in orthostatic posture, in 3 distinct positions, using a Kistler force plate. The experiments referred to the body mass center (COM) displacement in sagittal and lateral planes, representing an interesting characteristic for its equilibrium. It was shown that the person with diseases affecting stability presented a loss of equilibrium when standing for 10-20 seconds, i.e. higher COM displacements in both planes reported to the other tested subjects.


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