Processing has differential effects on microbiota accessible carbohydrates in whole grains during in vitro fermentation.

This study demonstrated that only microbiomes that exhibited high CU responded to the effects of processing by showing significant differences among processing methods. In these microbiomes, extrusion was able to increase accessibility of the cell wall polysaccharides, but did not increase butyrate production. In contrast, sourdough bread led to high butyrate production by supporting important butyrate-producers in the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families.IMPORTANCE Dietary non-digestible carbohydrates, or dietary fiber, have long been recognized for their beneficial health effects. However, recent studies have revealed that fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates by gut bacteria is critical in mediating many of the health-promoting properties of dietary fibers. Whole grains are excellent candidates to supply the microbiome with a plentiful source of non-digestible carbohydrates, although unfortunately a majority of these carbohydrates in whole grains are not available to gut bacteria for fermentation. Processing is known to alter the structural characteristics of non-digestible carbohydrates in whole grains, yet the relationship between these effects and gut microbial fermentation is unknown. This research aims to address this important research gap by identifying interactions between whole grain processing and gut bacteria, with the ultimate goal of increasing the availability of non-digestible carbohydrates for fermentation to enhance host health. PMID...
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Appl Environ Microbiol Source Type: research