Micronization increases vitamin E carrying and releasing abilities of insoluble fiber.

This study was to investigate the effects of micronization on vitamin-carrying capacity and slow-release ability of carambola (starfruit) insoluble fiber (IF) and cellulose using in vitro and in vivomodels. Upon micronization, carambola IF (8.1 microm) underwent structural changes to expose more functional groups in the fiber matrix and to exhibit higher oil-holding capacity ( approximately 20.4-fold). Micronized fibers in forms of fiber-vitamin composites, particularly the micronized carambola IF-vitamin composite, were capable of carrying vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) up to 9.6-fold over their unmicronized forms and releasing nutrient gradually. Animal studies demonstrated that the adminstration of micronized carambola IF-vitamin composite could maintain the plasma vitamin E of rats at relatively higher levels (2.1-3.6-fold of the initial values) for at least 5 h. The results suggested that micronized fibers, particularly the micronized carambola IF, could be exploited as potential nutrient carriers in food applications and also be used to produce slow-release formulations.

Investigation on the lipid- and cholesterol-lowering abilities of biocellulose.

The present study investigated and compared the physicochemical properties as well as the hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic effects between plant cellulose and biocellulose. Biocellulose had higher water-holding and cation-exchange capacities than plant cellulose ( approximately 2- and 6-fold, respectively). The results showed that the administration of plant cellulose and biocellulose to hamsters effectively ( P < 0.05) decreased the concentrations of serum triglyceride (by 13.9-55.5%), serum total cholesterol (by 17.4-27.9%), serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (by 41.9-47.9%), liver total lipids (by 6.4-10.3%), and liver cholesterol (by 11.8-16.3%). Feeding plant cellulose and biocellulose also enhanced the excretion of total lipids (144-182%), cholesterol (136-203%), and bile acids (259-479%) in feces. The efficacy of biocellulose in lowering serum lipids and cholesterol in hamsters was significantly higher than that of plant cellulose. These results suggested that biocellulose could be a promising low-calorie bulking ingredient for the development of novel fiber-rich functional foods of different forms such as powder, gelatinous, or shred forms.

Effects of the insoluble fiber derived from Passiflora edulis seed on plasma and hepatic lipids and fecal output.

The influence of the insoluble fiber-rich fraction (FRF) prepared from defatted Passiflora edulis seed, a potential fiber source, on plasma and hepatic lipids and fecal output were investigated in hamsters fed a hypercholesterolemic diet containing 5% insoluble FRF. The results showed that the consumption of insoluble FRF diet relative to cellulose diet could effectively (P < 0.05) decrease the levels of serum triglyceride, serum total cholesterol, and liver cholesterol, and increase (P < 0.05) the levels of total lipids, cholesterol, and bile acids in feces. The consumption of insoluble FRF also increased (P < 0.05) the fecal bulk and moisture. The marked cholesterol- and lipid-lowering effects of insoluble FRF might be partly attributed to its ability to enhance the excretion of lipids and bile acids via feces. Our results suggested that insoluble FRF could be a potential hypocholesterolemic ingredient for fiber-rich functional foods, but some further researches in humans may be needed to confirm its benefits.

Particle size reduction effectively enhances the cholesterol-lowering activities of carrot insoluble fiber and cellulose.

This study investigated and compared the effects of particle size reduction on the cholesterol-lowering activities of carrot insoluble fiber-rich fraction (IFF) and plant cellulose. Our results demonstrated that micronization treatment effectively pulverized the particle sizes of these insoluble fibers to different microsizes. Feeding the micronized insoluble fibers, particularly the micronized carrot IFF, significantly (p < 0.05) improved their abilities in lowering the concentrations of serum triglyceride (18.6-20.0%), serum total cholesterol (15.5-19.5%), and liver lipids (16.7-20.3%) to different extents by means of enhancing (p < 0.05) the excretion of lipids (124-131%), cholesterol (120-135%), and bile acids (130-141%) in feces. These results suggested that particle size was one of the crucial factors in affecting the characteristics and physiological functions of insoluble fibers. Therefore, particle size reduction by micronization might offer the industry an opportunity to improve the physiological functions of insoluble fibers, particularly the carrot IFF, in health food applications.