Abstract
The effects of beet dietary fiber (BDF) on intestinal flora and intestinal metabolic products were determined in healthy humans and rats. The major compositions of fecal flora in seven volunteers didn't change during the intake of BDF (10g/day) for 21 days. While a significant increase in the frequency of evacuation and fecal water content, a significant decrease in fecal putrefactive products, such as the concentrations of each ammonia and indole, were observed in humans during BDF intake. In the animals given a purified diet supplemented with 10% BDF, the number of strict anaerobic bacteria was unchanged, but that of the facultative anaerobes such as enterobacteriaceae and streptococci significantly decreased. The cecal amount of short-chain fatty acids in the animals significantly increased, in particular ton- butyric acid. In the cultures supplemented with human feces or rat cecal contents with BDF, a marked increase of acetic acid and a slight increase ofn-butyric acid were also observed. Finally, BDF intake induced a slight change in the compositions of the intestinal flora in humans and rats and useful changes in intestinal metabolic products.
