Wheat bran affects the site of fermentation of resistant starch and luminal indexes related to colon cancer risk: a study in pigs

Background-Recent studies suggest that resistant starch (effective in produ cing butyrate and lowering possibly toxic ammonia) is rapidly fermented in the proximal colon; the distal colon especially would, however, benefit fro m these properties of resistant starch. Aims-To determine whether wheat bran (a rich source of insoluble non-starch polysaccharides), known to hasten gastrointestinal transit, could carry re sistant starch through to the distal colon and thus shift its site of ferme ntation. Methods-Twenty four pigs were fed four human type diets: a control diet, or control diet supplemented with resistant starch, wheat bran, or both. Inte stinal contents and faeces were collected after two weeks. Results-Without wheat bran, resistant starch was rapidly fermented in the c aecum and proximal colon. Supplementation with wheat bran inhibited the cae cal fermentation of resistant starch, resulting in an almost twofold increa se (from 12.9 (2.5) to 20.5 (2.1) g/day, p<0.05) in resistant starch being fermented between the proximal colon and faeces. This resulted in higher bu tyrate (133%, p<0.05) and lower ammonia (81%, p<0.05) concentrations in the distal colonic regions. Conclusions-Wheat bran can shift the fermentation of resistant starch furth er distally, thereby improving the luminal conditions in the distal colonic regions where tumours most commonly occur. Therefore, the combined consump tion of resistant starch and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides may contr ibute to the dietary modulation of colon cancer risk.