ARS | Publication request: Invitro Digestion and Fermentation Characteristics of Temulose Molasses, a Co-Product of Fiberboard Production, and Select Temulose Fractions

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 15, 2010
Publication Date: February 2, 2011
Citation: Faber, T.A., Bauer, L.L., Price, N.P., Hopkins, A.C., Fahey, Jr., G.C. 2011. In vitro digestion and fermentation characteristics of Temulose molasses, a co-product of fiberboard production, and select Temulose fractions using canine fecal inoculum. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 59:1847-1853.

Interpretive Summary: The benefits of fermentable carbohydrates have been demonstrated in humans, livestock, poultry, and companion animals. Temulose molasses is a co-product of the fiberboard industry and has potential as a valuable fermentable carbohydrate. Temulose molasses and fractions of temulose molasses were evaluated for their fermentative and microbiota modulation properties using in vitro technologies. This manuscript provides evidence of the potential of temulose molasses as a fermentable carbohydrate with the ability to modulate the large bowel microbiota of the canine.

Technical Abstract: It is of interest to discover new fermentable carbohydrates sources that function as prebiotics. This study evaluated the hydrolytic digestibility, fermentative capacity, and microbiota modulating properties of temulose molasses, four hydrolyzed fractions of temulose molasses, short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), and a yeast cell wall preparation (Safmanna). Substrates resisted in vitro hydrolytic digestion. Each substrate was fermented in vitro using dog fecal inoculum, and fermentation characteristics were quantified at 0 and 12 h. All temulose molasses substrates decreased pH by at least 0.64 units and resulted in greater (P < 0.05) butyrate and total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production compared to scFOS and the yeast cell wall preparation. The temulose molasses substrates resulted in higher (P < 0.01) or equal Bifidobacterium spp. concentrations compared to scFOS. The temulose molasses substrate and its fractions demonstrated prebiotic characteristics indicated by low hydrolytic digestibility, high fermentability, and enhanced growth of microbes considered to be beneficial to health.