Physiological and Metabolic Properties of a Digestion-Resistant Maltodextrin, Classified as Type 3 Retrograded Resistant Starch

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2007-02, Vol.55 (4), p.1574-1581
• Main Authors: Brouns, Fred, Arrigoni, Eva, Langkilde, Anna Maria, Verkooijen, Inge, Fässler, Caroline, Andersson, Henrik, Kettlitz, Bernd, van Nieuwenhoven, Michiel, Philipsson, Henriette, Amadò, Renato
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - metabolism; butyrate; butyric acid; Butyric Acid - metabolism; carbohydrate metabolism; chain fatty-acids; Chemical Engineering; colon; colorectal-cancer; dietary fiber; Digestion; Feces - microbiology; Fermentation; Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi; Food industries; Food Science; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; glycemic effect; Humans; Ileostomy; in vitro digestibility; in vitro digestion; in-vitro; intestinal microorganisms; Kemiteknik; Livsmedelsvetenskap; maltodextrins; Nutrition and Dietetics; Näringslära; polysaccharides; Polysaccharides - classification; Polysaccharides - metabolism; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; products; Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology; resistant maltodextrin; resistant retrograded maltodextrin; resistant starch; retrogradation; short chain fatty acids; small-intestine; Starch and starchy product industries
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf062057w

There is a growing interest in highly fermentable dietary fibers having the potential to reduce risks of disease through the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Recently a digestion-resistant retrograded maltodextrin (RRM), classified as type 3 resistant starch was developed. Systematic work to determine its molecular and physiological properties was carried out to determine (1) the fraction resistant to digestion in vitro and in vivo, (2) its postconsumption effect on blood glucose in healthy volunteers, and (3) its in vitro fermentation pattern, at different ages, by use of pooled fresh human fecal inoculum. Results:  The digestion resistant fraction obtained in vivo from ileostomy patients (59.4%) is similar to that obtained by the AOAC method for measuring retrograded resistant starch (59.7%). The relative glycemic response after consumption of 50 g of RRM was 58.5% compared to glucose set as 100%. When exposed to colonic microbiota, in vitro obtained indigestible fractions behave similarly to those obtained in vivo in ileostomy patients. Fermentation of RRM and production of butyric acid is negligible during the first months of life but develops subsequently during weaning. In adults, RRM fermentation results in a high yield of SCFA, with butyrate representing 21−31 mol % of total SCFA. The high yield of SCFA during colonic fermentation, observed from weaning age on, as well as the potential to help reduce glycemic load may be of benefit to a number of health-related functions in the host. Further study on clear clinical end points is warranted. Keywords: Resistant starch; resistant maltodextrin; retrogradation; fermentation; microbiota; glycemia; ileostomy; butyrate