title: Cecal and colonic responses in rats fed 5 or 30% corn oil diets containing either 7.5% broccoli dietary fiber or microcrystalline cellulose.
abstract: Growing evidence suggests that microbiota in the human gastrointestinal tract play a crucial role in mediating the effects of foods on colonic health and host metabolism. The large bowel ecosystem is known to be perturbed in humans and animals fed high-fat diets and conversely to be protected by fermentable oligosaccharides. We examined the ability of largely fermentable dietary fiber from broccoli ( Brassica oleracea L. var. italica ) and minimally fermented microcrystalline cellulose to buffer against the effects of high-fat intakes. The results showed that high fat lowered food intakes and therefore fiber intake by 27%. The addition of fermentable oligosaccharide to the diet was shown to be beneficial to some microbiota in cecum, altered cecal short-chain fatty acids, and increased the colon crypt depth and the number of goblet cells per crypt in high- and low-fat diets. Although, the fat level was the predominant factor in changes to the large bowel ecosystem, we have shown that broccoli fiber conferred some protection to consumption of a high-fat diet and particularly in terms of colon morphology.
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. gunaranjan.paturi@plantandfood.co.nz
authors.forename: Gunaranjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paturi
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Butts
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Monro
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nones
authors.forename: Sheridan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martell
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sutherland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001937:Brassica; D002432:Cecum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003106:Colon / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003314:Corn Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000032:analysis; D005285:Fermentation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D003314:Corn Oil; D002482:Cellulose; C109691:microcrystalline cellulose