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Effects of Processing on Dietary Fibre in Vegetables

Svanberg, Maria LU (1997)
Abstract
Several beneficial effects have been connected with dietary fibre. Insoluble fibre has a good faecal bulking capacity, whereas soluble and viscous dietary fibre has been shown to have beneficial effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Fruit and vegetables provide about one third of the dietary fibre intake in Northern Europe and more than half in Mediterranean countries. These food items are also the most important source of soluble dietary fibre. Most vegetables are, however, processed in one way or another, in industry or in the home, before consumption. Processing may affect the physicochemical properties of dietary fibre, which in turn may lead to changes in the physiological effects.



The present work was... (More)
Several beneficial effects have been connected with dietary fibre. Insoluble fibre has a good faecal bulking capacity, whereas soluble and viscous dietary fibre has been shown to have beneficial effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Fruit and vegetables provide about one third of the dietary fibre intake in Northern Europe and more than half in Mediterranean countries. These food items are also the most important source of soluble dietary fibre. Most vegetables are, however, processed in one way or another, in industry or in the home, before consumption. Processing may affect the physicochemical properties of dietary fibre, which in turn may lead to changes in the physiological effects.



The present work was performed to study how physicochemical properties of nutritional significance, such as content and solubility of dietary fibre as well as molecular weight distribution and the viscosity of water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP) in vegetables (green beans, Brussels sprouts, green peas and carrots) may be affected by processing. In addition, the physicochemical properties of WSP at their actual site of action in the gastrointestinal tract were evaluated in rats.



The effects of processing on dietary fibre in vegetables were shown to be very complex. Considerable differences were found in raw material, both between vegetables, and also between different cultivars of the same vegetable. Moreover, post-harvest changes during storage were found to influence the properties of dietary fibre. Heat processing of vegetables generally degraded the dietary fibre polysaccharides. The degradation was dependent on the severity of the heat treatment. Boiling of carrots and severe microwave treatment of green beans reduced the content of total dietary fibre. In some cases there was also a changed distribution between soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.



Following heat processing there was a shift towards lower molecular weight of the WSP in all vegetables. This degradation was strongly dependent on the severity of the heat treatment, with more extensive degradation resulting from more intense heat treatment. In accordance with the molecular weight measurements the viscosity of the WSP decreased following more intense heat treatment. Furthermore, the WSP isolated from carrots and green beans exhibited a higher viscosity than those from Brussels sprouts and green peas. Freezing and souring of carrots had only minor influence on the molecular weight distribution and viscosity of the isolated WSP.



The WSP in green beans were degraded during passage through the gastrointestinal tract in rats. The differences in molecular weight seen between blanched and microwaved green beans had been lost after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of antibiotic-treated rats. The in vivo fermentability of the bean fibre in rats, as well as the bulking capacity, was not affected by mild or by severe microwave treatment of the beans. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Prof Åman, Per, Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
low molecular weight carbohydrates, carrot cultivars, molecular weight distribution, viscosity, water-soluble polysaccharides, processing, Dietary fibre, vegetables, bulking capacity, rats, Food and drink technology, Livsmedelsteknik
pages
138 pages
publisher
Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Lund University
defense location
K:C, Center for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Lund
defense date
1997-05-24 10:15:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN LUTKDH/TKIN--97/1013--SE
ISBN
91-628-2552-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry (011001300)
id
32ae971f-6e91-4530-bdc1-43e5c9a4720f (old id 29265)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 12:18:04
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:10:09
@phdthesis{32ae971f-6e91-4530-bdc1-43e5c9a4720f,
  abstract     = {{Several beneficial effects have been connected with dietary fibre. Insoluble fibre has a good faecal bulking capacity, whereas soluble and viscous dietary fibre has been shown to have beneficial effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Fruit and vegetables provide about one third of the dietary fibre intake in Northern Europe and more than half in Mediterranean countries. These food items are also the most important source of soluble dietary fibre. Most vegetables are, however, processed in one way or another, in industry or in the home, before consumption. Processing may affect the physicochemical properties of dietary fibre, which in turn may lead to changes in the physiological effects.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The present work was performed to study how physicochemical properties of nutritional significance, such as content and solubility of dietary fibre as well as molecular weight distribution and the viscosity of water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP) in vegetables (green beans, Brussels sprouts, green peas and carrots) may be affected by processing. In addition, the physicochemical properties of WSP at their actual site of action in the gastrointestinal tract were evaluated in rats.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The effects of processing on dietary fibre in vegetables were shown to be very complex. Considerable differences were found in raw material, both between vegetables, and also between different cultivars of the same vegetable. Moreover, post-harvest changes during storage were found to influence the properties of dietary fibre. Heat processing of vegetables generally degraded the dietary fibre polysaccharides. The degradation was dependent on the severity of the heat treatment. Boiling of carrots and severe microwave treatment of green beans reduced the content of total dietary fibre. In some cases there was also a changed distribution between soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Following heat processing there was a shift towards lower molecular weight of the WSP in all vegetables. This degradation was strongly dependent on the severity of the heat treatment, with more extensive degradation resulting from more intense heat treatment. In accordance with the molecular weight measurements the viscosity of the WSP decreased following more intense heat treatment. Furthermore, the WSP isolated from carrots and green beans exhibited a higher viscosity than those from Brussels sprouts and green peas. Freezing and souring of carrots had only minor influence on the molecular weight distribution and viscosity of the isolated WSP.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The WSP in green beans were degraded during passage through the gastrointestinal tract in rats. The differences in molecular weight seen between blanched and microwaved green beans had been lost after passage through the gastrointestinal tract of antibiotic-treated rats. The in vivo fermentability of the bean fibre in rats, as well as the bulking capacity, was not affected by mild or by severe microwave treatment of the beans.}},
  author       = {{Svanberg, Maria}},
  isbn         = {{91-628-2552-6}},
  keywords     = {{low molecular weight carbohydrates; carrot cultivars; molecular weight distribution; viscosity; water-soluble polysaccharides; processing; Dietary fibre; vegetables; bulking capacity; rats; Food and drink technology; Livsmedelsteknik}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Effects of Processing on Dietary Fibre in Vegetables}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}