Improvement in intestinall function and health by the peel fibre derived from Citrus sinensis L cv Liucheng

The water-insoluble fibre-rich fraction (WIFF) was isolated from the peel of Citrus sinensis L cv Liucheng in an economical way. The influences of a WIFF-containing diet on the intestinal function and health in hamsters were investigated and compared with those of cellulose-added and fibre-free diets. Our results showed that the inclusion of WIFF in a fibre-free diet might result in some significant improvements in serum, intestinal, caecal and faecal parameters, such as elevated serum alkaline phosphatase activity (127%), increased intestinal maltase and sucrase activities (180 and 164% respectively), decreased caecal pH (6.30), reduced caecal and faecal ammonia contents (by 25.4 and 34.1% respectively) and decreased activities of faecal P-D-glucosidase (by 48.1%), β-(D)-glucuronidase (by 52.9%) and urease (by 81.5%). These results suggested that the incorporation of WIFF in the diet at a level of SO g kg(-1) might exert a favourable effect on intestinal function and health. Accordingly, WIFF could be exploited as a potential functional ingredient in human diets and also offer industries an opportunity to develop new formulations of fibre-rich functional foods. © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.