The Role of Prebiotic Grains in Metabolic Regulation; Colonic Fermentation Aspects: A Brief Review Anne NILSSON Department of Food Technology, Engineering and Nutrition, Lund University, Lund, Sweden | Whole grain foods and dietary fibre (DF) have been found to be advantageous with respect to preventing lifestyle diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This brief review presents results from short term interventions (1－3 days) in healthy subjects in support of metabolic benefits of specific DF through mechanisms emanating from colonic fermentation. One important signalling pathway whereby appetite regulatory centres in central nervous system (CNS) gain information is via gut hormones and the “Gut-Brain-Axis”. Included as signalling molecules in appetite and metabolic regulatory pathways are also short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced during colonic fermentation. Accordingly, it was observed that barley- and rye-based test products had the potential to improve glucose tolerance, reduce inflammatory markers and increase gut hormones important in metabolic and appetite regulation and important also to gut barrier functions. The review also brings up the close connection between food, cardiometabolic variables and cognitive functions and mood. In this respect, a rye-based product improved mood parameters and increased concentrations of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Concomitantly with beneficial effects on metabolic test markers, it was observed that the concentrations of gut microbiota metabolites were increased (breath hydrogen and SCFA) and the composition of the gut microbiota was changed towards increased ratios of Prevotella to Bacteroides. Furthermore, it was noted that a minor sub-group of test subjects had none or only minor metabolic benefits of cereal DF. It was concluded that, at least partly, these variations could be ascribed differences in gut microbiota composition; however, the underlying mechanisms demand further investigation. |
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