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A curve fitting approach to estimate the extent of fermentation of indigestible carbohydrates
Author(s) -
Wang H.,
Weening D.,
Jonkers E.,
Boer T.,
Stellaard F.,
Small A. C.,
Preston T.,
Vonk R. J.,
Priebe M. G.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.2008.02030.x
Subject(s) - fermentation , digestion (alchemy) , carbohydrate , area under the curve , chemistry , food science , area under curve , biochemistry , chromatography , pharmacokinetics , medicine
Background Information about the extent of carbohydrate digestion and fermentation is critical to our ability to explore the metabolic effects of carbohydrate fermentation in vivo . We used cooked 13 C‐labelled barley kernels, which are rich in indigestible carbohydrates, to develop a method which makes it possible to distinguish between and to assess carbohydrate digestion and fermentation. Materials and methods Seventeen volunteers ingested 86 g (dry weight) of cooked naturally 13 C enriched barley kernels after an overnight fast. 13 CO 2 and H 2 in breath samples were measured every half hour for 12 h. The data of 13 CO 2 in breath before the start of the fermentation were used to fit the curve representing the digestion phase. The difference between the area under curve (AUC) of the fitted digestion curve and the AUC of the observed curve was regarded to represent the fermentation part. Different approaches were applied to determine the proportion of the 13 C‐dose available for digestion and fermentation. Results Four hours after intake of barley, H 2 ‐excretion in breath started to rise. Within 12 h, 24–48% of the 13 C‐dose was recovered as 13 CO 2 , of which 18–19% was derived from colonic fermentation and the rest from digestion. By extrapolating the curve to baseline, it was estimated that eventually 24–25% of the total available 13 C in barley would be derived from colon fermentation. Conclusion Curve fitting, using 13 CO 2 ‐ and H 2 ‐breath data, is a feasible and non‐invasive method to assess carbohydrate digestion and fermentation after consumption of 13 C enriched starchy food.