RATES OF FERMENTATION AND SHORT CHAIN FATTY-ACID AND GAS-PRODUCTION OF 6 STARCHES BY HUMAN FECAL MICROBIOTA

Six starches (wheat, kidney bean, rice, corn, amylopectin and amylose) were fermented in vitro with mixed human faecal microbiota for 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 h to determine differences in rates of fermentation, and production of short chain fatty acid (SCF A) and gas. The starches differed significantly in rates of fermentation with wheat and rice starches being completely fermented by 12 h whereas all other starches had disappeared by 24 h. However, individual and total SCF A production g−1 starch fermented did not differ with starch source. Gas production was significantly correlated with SCF A production (P <0.0001). Although all starches were 100% fermentable by 24 h and produced similar types and quantities of SCF A, differences in the profiles, ie rates of gas and SCF A production, were observed. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd