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An examination of factors which may affect the water holding capacity of dietary fibre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. A. Robertson  and
M. A. Eastwood
J. A. Robertson
Affiliation:
Wolfson gastrointestinal laboratories, Department of Medicine, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU
M. A. Eastwood
Affiliation:
Wolfson gastrointestinal laboratories, Department of Medicine, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU
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Abstract

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1. Dietary fibre has a water holding capacity (WHC) and this is a function of the fibre source and method of measurement. Water can be associated with fibre either as trapped water or bound water. This makes it difficult to predict the ability of fibre to influence stool weight in humans.

2. Examination of various fibre concentrates for chemical composition, as neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and lignin; structure, by scanning electron microscopy; WHC, by centrifugation, suggests that WHC is more a function of fibre structure than chemical composition. Cereal fibre and vegetable fibre have a different chemical composition and are structurally very distinct. Structure is also dependent on the method of fibre preparation.

3. Measurement of WHC by centrifugation gives an estimate of the water which can be bound and also trapped by the fibre. The amount of trapped water will depend on the structure of the fibre whereas bound water will depend on the chemical composition.

Type
Papers of direct to Clinical and Human Nutrition
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , January 1981 , pp. 83 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1981

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