Dietary fibre and fermentability characteristics of root crops and legumes

Abstract

The dietary fibre and fermentability characteristics of local root crops and legumes were determined. Total, soluble and insoluble fibre were determined in six root crops (kamote, gabi, potato, tugi, ube, cassava) and ten legumes (mungbean, soyabean, peanut, pole sitao, cowpea, chickpea, green pea, lima bean, kidney bean and pigeon pea) using Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. The dietary fibre from test foods was isolated and fermented in vitro using human faecal inoculum simulating conditions in the human colon. The SCFA, e.g. acetate, propionate, butyrate, produced after fibre fermentation was measured using HPLC. The dietary fibre content of root crops ranged from 4·6 to 13·5 g/100 g while legumes ranged from 20·9 to 46·9 g/100 g, suggesting that root crops and legumes are good sources of dietary fibre. Significant amounts of SCFA were produced after in vitro fermentation of the fibre isolate of both root crops and legumes. The best sources (as mmol/g fibre isolate) of acetate among the legumes were pole sitao (5·6 (SEM 0·5)) and mungbean (5·3 (SEM 0·1)) and among the root crops, tugi (2·5 (SEM 0·4)) and cassava (2·4 (SEM 0·1)); of propionate, kidney bean (7·2 (SEM 1·5)) and pigeon pea (3·3 (SEM 0·2)) for legumes, and tugi (1·8 (SEM 0·2)) for root crops; and of butyrate, peanut (6·0 (SEM 0·2)) and cowpea (5·4 (SEM 0·2)) for legumes, and tugi (0·8 (SEM 0·0)) and cassava (0·8 (SEM 0·0)) for root crops. In conclusion, root crops and legumes are good sources of dietary fibre and produced SCFA after fibre fermentation, such as acetate, propionate and butyrate. SCFA production after in vitro fermentation can be estimated using human faecal inoculum and can be used to model the human colon.

Comparative effects of three levels of insect infestation on selected properties of five Nigerian cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculasta (L.</i>) walp) varieties

“…Highest reduction in TDF (35%) occurred in Isiocha while the least reduction in TDF occurred in iron beans (4%) at 75% infestation level. The TDF of the uninfested cowpeas (34-49%) was in close agreement with the range of 20.9 to 46.9 g/100 g TDF reported for a number of legumes including soybean, peanut and cowpea among others by Mallillin et al (2008). Decrease in TDF in the infested cowpea samples was attributed to feeding on the soluble portion of TDF by the insects.…”

Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits of Vegetables: A Review

“…bean, pea, soybean, chickpea, lentils), mature and imature seeds are good sources of dietary fiber and isoflavonoids [31]. Mallillin et al [32] determined the total, soluble and insoluble fibre and fermentability characteristics of ten legumes mature seeds (mungbean, soyabean peanut, pole sitao, cowpea, chickpea, green pea, lima bean, kidney bean and pigeon pea) and concluded that the dietary fibre content ranged from 20.9 to 46.9 g/100g and that the best sources after in vitro fermentation using human faecal inoculum stimulating conditions in the human collon (as mmol/g/fibre isolate of acetate, propinate, butyrate produced after fibre fermentation measured by HPLC) were pole sitao and mungbean (acetate), kidney bean and pigeon pea, (propinate), and peanut and cowpea (butyrate). High-flavonol legumes include sugar snap peas and mange-tout, which were found to contain 98 and 145 µg quercetin/g respectively.…”

Nutritional Management of Disturbances in Lipoprotein Concentrations

“…The hypocholesterolaemic property of legumes is associated with the water-soluble fibre. Dietary fiber in legumes is not digested in the small intestine but be fermented in the colon and produces short chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate and butyrate [172,173]; that inhibits hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, the limiting enzyme for cholesterol synthesis. Dietary fiber also decrease LDL cholesterol concentration by partially interrupting the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids via binding to bile acids in the intestines and preventing their re-absorption [174].…”