fatty acid profiles in healthy human.pdf

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Influence of the type of indigestible carbohydrate on plasma and urine short-chain fatty acid profiles in healthy human volunteers K Verbeke1, V Ferchaud-Roucher2, T Preston3, AC Small3, L Henckaerts1, M Krempf2, H Wang4, RJ Vonk4 and MG Priebe4 1Department of Gastrointestinal Research and Leuven Food and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; 2Human Nutrition Research Center, University of Nantes, Nantes, France; 3Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, University of Glasgow, UK and 4Center for Medical Biomics, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands 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 (o6 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 pro