ARS | Publication request: PROCESSING, BIOAVAILABILITY AND ACTIVITY OF DIETARY FIBER

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 31, 2000
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Food processing is often associated with degradation of nutritional and sensory quality. Thermal and mechanical processes in combination with atmospheric oxygen often results in loss of labile vitamins, increases rancidity, softens texture and reduces polymer size. Shear, acid and endogenous hydrolases present during food processing can reduce the size of fdietary fiber polymers. The cholesterol reducing properties of soluble dietary polymers are thought to be related to the high viscosity of soluble polymers. Using size exclusion chromatogrphy with multiple angle laser light scattering to determine polymer size, we show that processed fiber from barley, oat and corn although considerably reduced in size are more active in reducing plasma cholesterol in test animals.