EFFECT OF RETROGRADATION, PANCREATIN DIGESTION AND AMYLOSE AMYLOPECTIN RATIO ON THE FERMENTATION OF STARCH BY CLOSTRIDIUM-BUTYRICUM (NCIMB-7423)/

Using three different maize starches (maize, waxy maize and high amylo se maize, containing 25%, 1% and 52% amylose, respectively) the influe nce of amylose/amylopectin content and of retrogradation on fermentati on by the porcine caecal anaerobe Clostridium butyricum was assessed. Small intestine digestion was simulated using pancreatin before the st arches were exposed to bacterial fermentation. It was found that retro gradation appeared to alter the extent of the fermentation and hence t he amount of short-chain fatty acids produced, while pancreatin digest ion appeared to alter the way in which the organism fermented the star ch and hence the acetate/butyrate ratio. The amylose/amylopectin ratio seemed to have more influence on the way the starch was fermented by the bacteria after the starch had been subjected to digestion with pan creatic enzymes, but had less influence when the starch had been retro graded. (C) 1998 SCI.