Abstract
The influence of glucomannan (Konjac mannan) on the fecal bacteria was studied in eight healthy and eight non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects. Healthy subjects were given isoenergetic diets (1, 955 kcal; mean energy for five days) in randomised order for the first five-days of the control period (six days), and consecutively for the first and last five days of a fiber enriched diet period (20 days; glucomannan 7.8g/day) and for the last five days of a final control period. Diabetic subjects were given a diabetic diet with glucomannan (7.9g/day) for 4 to 20 moths.
Throughout the isoenergetic diet period, the healthy subjects collected their feces in por-Aculture tubes. The diabetic subjects were divided into two groups. In one group, their feces were collected once a month for the first three months, in the other group, their feces were collected for four consecutive months selected between 11 and 25 months.
One gram of feces was mixed with 10 volumes of pre-reduced diluent. Serial dilutions of the specimens were prepared and seeded on plates of media for isolation of anaerobic (Bacteroidacea, B. fragilis, Bifidobacterium, clostridia Cl. Perfringens, Veillonellacea, Lactobacillus, Fusobacterium) and aerobic (streptococci, staphylococci, Enterobacteriacea, yeasts) organisms.
The results showed that no alterations in the flora occurred in either group of subjects.
