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PubMedDate not supplied

Soluble dietary fibre improves insulin sensitivity by increasing muscle GLUT-4 content in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

1. The effects of soluble dietary fibre (psyllium) on peripheral insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle GLUT-4 protein expression were studied in 12 male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) fed a high-caloric diet from 5 to 9 weeks of age. 2. In the psyllium-supplemented group, fasting plasma glucose was significantly reduced and glucose levels following an oral glucose tolerance test were significantly lower than in the cellulose-supplemented group at 30 (P < 0.05) and 60 min (P < 0.01). However, there was no difference in insulin secretion. 3. In the psyllium-supplemented group, skeletal muscle GLUT-4 content was significantly increased in the plasma membrane (P < 0.001), but not in the intracellular membrane. 4. No significant difference was found in phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase activity between cellulose and psyllium diet not only in the basal state but also when stimulated by insulin. 5. These results demonstrate that psyllium increases blood glucose disposal by increasing skeletal muscle plasma membrane GLUT-4 content without PI3-kinase activation.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Dietary soluble fiber and cholesterol affect serum cholesterol concentration, hepatic portal venous short-chain fatty acid concentrations and fecal sterol excretion in rats.

Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 7.5% dietary fiber as cellulose (control), pectin, psyllium or oat bran with or without 0.3% added cholesterol for 3 wk. Among rats fed cholesterol, liver total lipid and cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in groups fed pectin, psyllium and oat bran compared with cellulose-fed controls. Cholesterol feeding resulted in significantly greater liver cholesterol in rats fed cellulose, psyllium and oat bran but not in those fed pectin. Among rats fed cholesterol, total serum cholesterol levels were significantly lower in those fed pectin than in those fed psyllium, oat bran or cellulose. When cholesterol was fed, the oat bran-fed group had significantly higher butyrate and the pectin-fed group had significantly higher propionate concentrations in the hepatic portal vein than did cellulose-fed controls. The groups fed psyllium, oat bran and pectin all had significantly higher fecal neutral sterols than did the cellulose-fed group when cholesterol was fed. Without dietary cholesterol only pectin-fed rats had significantly higher fecal excretion of neutral sterols than those fed cellulose. Dietary fiber did not influence fecal acidic sterol excretion. However, the addition of cholesterol to these fiber diets was accompanied by a significantly higher bile acid excretion than that of animals fed cellulose without cholesterol. The results of this study indicate that soluble dietary fibers may exert their hypocholesterolemic effect by increasing excretion of fecal neutral sterols.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Dietary fibers affect viscosity of solutions and simulated human gastric and small intestinal digesta.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the viscosities of both soluble and insoluble dietary fibers. In Expt. 1, corn bran, defatted rice bran, guar gum, gum xanthan, oat bran, psyllium, soy hulls, stabilized rice bran, wheat bran, wood cellulose, and 2 methylcellulose controls (Ticacel 42, Ticacel 43) were hydrated in water overnight at 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2% concentrations. In Expt. 2, guar gum, oat bran, psyllium, rice bran, wheat bran, and wood cellulose were subjected to a 2-stage in vitro gastric and small intestinal digestion simulation model. Viscosity was measured every 2 and 3 h during gastric and small intestinal simulation, respectively. Viscosities in both experiments were measured at multiple shear rates. Viscosities of all fiber solutions were concentration- and shear rate-dependent. Rice brans, soy hulls, and wood cellulose had the lowest viscosities, whereas guar gum, psyllium, and xanthan gum had the highest viscosities, regardless of concentration. During gastric simulation, viscosity was higher (P < 0.05) at 4 h than at 0 h for guar gum, psyllium, rice bran, and wheat bran. During small intestinal simulation, viscosities were higher (P < 0.05) between 3 and 9 h compared with 18 h for guar gum, oat bran, and rice bran. Guar gum, psyllium, and oat bran exhibited viscous characteristics throughout small intestinal simulation, indicating potential for these fibers to elicit blood glucose and lipid attenuation. Wheat and rice brans and wood cellulose did not exhibit viscous characteristics throughout small intestinal digestion; thus, they may be beneficial for laxation.

Avena↗
PubMed2000

Hypercholesterolemia: a look at low-cost treatment and treatment adherence.

PURPOSE: To determine whether a positive cholesterol-lowering effect could be achieved with a psyllium dose of 6 grams per day instead of the usual 10 grams per day as advocated by other researchers. DATA SOURCES: Randomized trial of 46 males and females with hypercholesterolemia; multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures on 1 factor done on 28 subjects (18 in treatment group, 10 in control group) remaining after 16 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Lipoprotein analysis at 2, 8, and 16 weeks indicated that a daily dose of 6 grams of psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid did not significantly affect serum total cholesterol nor low-density lipoproteins in either men or women with hypercholesterolemia. The effects of psyllium on hypercholesterolemia appear to be dose dependent. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Although it is a low cost option, the addition of psyllium to the diet has unpleasant side-effects, including abdominal distention, flatulence, and discomfort. Because these side effects are troublesome, the lowest effective dose of psyllium may be an important factor in improving treatment adherence.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Potential water-holding capacity and short-chain fatty acid production from purified fiber sources in a fecal incubation system.

Liquid enteral diets supplemented with dietary fiber, typically soy fiber, are in widespread use to increase stool bulking and maintain gastrointestinal function. Yeast cells, containing beta-glucans, represent another commercially available fiber source that could be added to enteral diets. The objective of this study was to compare commercially available purified fiber sources, i.e., mixed fiber (Fibrad), psyllium hydrocolloid (Metamucil), and yeast cell walls (Fibercel), for potential use in liquid diets in terms of potential water-holding capacity (PWHC) and SCFA production (mmol SCFA/g organic matter [OM]). Fiber samples were fermented in vitro with human fecal microbiota from three donors for 24 h, and SCFA production was greatest from beta-glucan (8.24 mmol/g OM), followed by psyllium (5.57 mmol/g OM) and mixed fiber (4.50 mmol/g OM) (p less than 0.0001). WHCs of the original materials (g H2O/g OM) differed (p less than 0.02) at 4.59, 5.79, and 8.63 for beta-glucan, mixed fiber, and psyllium, respectively. PWHC (g H2O/g OM), an in vitro measure of stool bulking, differed (p less than 0.0001) with psyllium (4.48) greater than mixed fiber (3.52) greater than beta-glucan (2.22). These three fiber systems appear to have distinctly different physiological effects in vivo. Of the three products, mixed fiber was the most inert. Psyllium seems to enhance both SCFA production and stool bulk relative to mixed fiber, whereas beta-glucan most significantly increases SCFA production with a minimal effect on stool bulk.

Body Water↗
PubMed1991

Hypocholesterolemic effects of different bulk-forming hydrophilic fibers as adjuncts to dietary therapy in mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.

Hypercholesterolemia is a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease, and the hypocholesterolemic effects of psyllium are well established. This placebo-controlled, parallel study compared psyllium with methylcellulose, calcium polycarbophil, and placebo as dietary adjuncts in treating mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. Of 163 men and women recruited with serum cholesterol levels above 5.17 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), 105 completed 8 weeks of an American Heart Association step I diet and then augmented the diet with one of the fiber supplements for 8 additional weeks. Incremental differences from placebo for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were -8.8% for psyllium, -3.2% for methylcellulose (not significant), and +8.7% for calcium polycarbophil; and for total cholesterol the differences were -4.3% for psyllium (not significant), -1.4% for methylcellulose (not significant), and +5.9% for calcium polycarbophil. Compliance was 94% to 96%, and only mild gastrointestinal side effects were observed. In managing mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia, methylcellulose and calcium polycarbophil provide little or no additional benefit, while psyllium significantly enhances the American Heart Association diet effects.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1995

Chronic and postprandial responses of plasma insulin, glucose and lipids in volunteers given dietary fibre supplements.

We questioned whether a dietary fibre supplement known to lower fasting plasma cholesterol concentrations can also lower the postprandial plasma cholesterol, glucose and insulin concentrations when it is administered just before a meal. Two studies were conducted in healthy middle-aged volunteers of both sexes in whom the fasting plasma total cholesterol concentrations were above normal. In the first study the dietary fibre treatments (2.2 g) were psyllium and a psyllium-citrus pectin mixture to which the subjects (four males, eight females) had no prior exposure. Controls received no supplement. The meals were high-fat breakfasts and lunches. In the second study the dietary fibre (6 g) was from sugar-beet root and the reference control was alpha-cellulose (2 g); the meal was of glucose. The volunteers (eight males, eight females) had prior exposure to the fibre supplements three times daily for 3 weeks. After adjustments for fasting values and changes in haemodilution, the psyllium and psyllium-citrus pectin mixture in the first experiment had no significant effects on the postprandial measurements of plasma glucose, insulin:glucose ratio, total-, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, and triacylglycerol. By contrast, the sugar-beet fibre in the second study significantly decreased the area under the glucose response curve by 6.9%, the area under the insulin response curve was lower by 9.6%, although not significantly, and the post-glucose meal HDL-cholesterol concentration was significantly (12%) higher. Additionally, the 3-week treatment with sugar-beet fibre significantly lowered the fasting total- and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, by 8.5% and 9.6% respectively. We conclude that low doses of psyllium and citrus pectin at breakfast and lunch have no effects on the postprandial plasma measurements, but that sugar-beet fibre taken daily for 3 weeks affects both fasting and postprandial plasma metabolites favourably in these individuals with mildly increased risk of ischaemic heart disease. Further, we observed that small changes in haemodilution occur after meals, as indicated by plasma albumin concentration and packed cell volume. Underemphasis of the dietary fibre effects may occur when postprandial haemodilution is not taken into account.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Intact pectin and its polygalacturonic acid regions have similar hypocholesterolemic properties in hybrid F1B hamsters.

We fed cholesterol-enriched (0.1% w/w) semipurified diets containing 3% of lemon pectin or 3% of the polygalacturonic acid regions fraction (smooth regions fraction) of the lemon pectin to hybrid F1B hamsters for a period of 8 weeks. A control group was fed cellulose and a positive control group was fed psyllium. The feeding of the semipurified diets resulted in an increase of plasma cholesterol levels in all the dietary groups when compared with initial values. The hamsters fed the psyllium, pectin, or the polygalacturonic acid regions fraction had significantly (P < 0.05) lower plasma cholesterol levels than the cellulose fed group throughout the experimental period. Plasma cholesterol levels in the hamsters fed the psyllium, pectin, or polygalacturonic acid regions fraction were not significantly different. Liver cholesterol concentrations were also lower in the hamsters fed the psyllium, pectin, or the polygalacturonic acid regions fraction than in the hamsters fed the cellulose, but this effect reached statistical significance only in the hamsters fed the polygalacturonic acid regions fraction. The results of these studies suggest that the polygalacturonic acid regions of the pectin molecule is responsible for the cholesterol-lowering properties of the pectin.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Dietary fiber for reducing blood cholesterol.

Soluble dietary fiber, including psyllium, has been shown to have mild to modest cholesterol lowering properties. Psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid (Metamucil, Procter and Gamble, Cincinnati, OH), a bulk laxative, when used as a dietary supplement in combination with a low fat diet, can lower total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic patients. The cholesterol lowering effects of psyllium are much less evident than those observed with cholestyramine and the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. The mechanism for the cholesterol lowering effect of psyllium is not known. The substance is well tolerated with long-term use.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1997

Absence of gaseous symptoms during ingestion of commercial fibre preparations.

BACKGROUND: While fibre is believed to cause gaseous symptoms, a study in healthy volunteers showed no increase in flatulence when the diet was supplemented with fermentable (psyllium) or non-fermentable (methylcellulose) fibre. However, extrapolation of this observation to subjects who use fibre is arguable since these individuals may have a propensity to gaseousness. In the present study, gaseous complaints during fibre ingestion were assessed in subjects who believed that a previous exposure to fibre induced gas. METHODS: In a double-blind protocol, subjects were randomized to one of four treatment periods, during which the regular diet was supplemented for 1-week periods with two daily doses of: placebo 10 g, psyllium 3.4 g, methylcellulose 2 g or lactulose 5 g. A symptom diary was maintained for 1-week periods on or off treatment. RESULTS: During treatment, the lactulose group passed gas significantly more often than did the psyllium or the methylcellulose group (P = 0.01). No other symptom was significantly different among the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: (1) psyllium and methylcellulose did not cause greater gaseous symptomatology than did placebo in subjects who believed that these preparations caused gas; and (2) subjects commonly misidentify dietary components that cause gaseous symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Effects of pharmacological fiber supplements on levothyroxine absorption.

To determine the effect of pharmacological fiber supplements, we measured levothyroxine (LT4) absorption without and with simultaneous ingestion of either calcium polycarbophil or psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid. Serum thyroxine (T4) levels in 8 volunteers were measured following ingestion of 600 microg of LT4 on 3 separate occasions at 4-week intervals: (1) LT4 alone; (2) LT4 together with 1000 mg polycarbophil; and (3) LT4 together with 3.4 g psyllium. The amount of absorbed LT4 was calculated as the incremental rise in serum T4 level during the first 6 hours multiplied by the volume of distribution for the hormone, and expressed as a percentage of the dose administered. Absorption of LT4 alone averaged 89% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 75%-104%), occurring at a median of 180 minutes. After simultaneous ingestion of calcium polycarbophil, LT4 absorption was 86% (95% CI: 74%-97%), occurring at 180 minutes. With simultaneous ingestion of psyllium and LT4, the absorption was 80% (95% CI: 64%-95%), occurring at 240 minutes. In summary, neither calcium polycarbophil nor psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid are likely to cause malabsorption of LT4 that could be detected by these methods.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1996

Hemicellulose does not affect iron bioavailability in chicks.

Two iron repletion experiments using hemoglobin as a response criterion were conducted to assess effects of hemicelluloses on iron bioavailability to chicks. In Experiment 1, iron bioavailability from intact fiber sources was determined by adding tomato pomace (14.6% hemicelluloses), soybean hulls (20.6% hemicelluloses), beet pulp (21.5% hemicelluloses), orchard grass (24.1% hemicelluloses) and corn fiber (55.2% hemicelluloses) to a casein dextrose basal diet providing 0.4-4.1% hemicelluloses to the diet. Test foods were analyzed for iron, total dietary fiber, neutral detergent residue, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, pectins and uronic acids. Hemicelluloses were determined by the difference of neutral detergent residue minus acid detergent fiber. Iron bioavailability was determined by the standard curve method to be (percent relative to ferrous sulfate using hemoglobin as the response criterion) as follows: tomato pomace, 82.0; soybean hulls, 94.0; beet pulp, 26.5; orchard grass, 68.9; corn fiber, 69.4. Iron bioavailability was not related to hemicellulose content of test foods or diets. In Experiment 2, the effect of psyllium husk (a fiber source that contains predominantly hemicelluloses) on iron bioavailability from ferrous sulfate was assessed. Bioavailability was determined by the slope ratio method where treatments consisted of graded levels of ferrous sulfate in the presence and absence of 5% dietary psyllium. Although iron intrinsic to psyllium was unavailable, bioavailability of ferrous sulfate iron was not affected (P > 0.05) by the presence of psyllium. Thus, there was no clear effect of hemicelluloses on iron bioavailability. However, some feeds that contained high levels of hemicelluloses had low intrinsic iron bioavailabilities, suggesting that other dietary factors are primarily responsible for determining iron bioavailability from these feed components.

Aging↗
PubMed1998

Dietary pectin with high viscosity lowers plasma and liver cholesterol concentration and plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity in hamsters.

We fed semipurified diets containing pectin with either a high or low in vitro viscosity at a level of 3 g/100 g air-dried diet to hamsters for 8 wk. A control group was fed cellulose and a positive control group was fed psyllium. The pectins used were a calcium-sensitive pectin (CS-pectin) that has a high viscosity and a noncalcium-sensitive pectin (NCS-pectin) that has a low viscosity. In the presence of calcium, CS-pectin has a more than 80-fold higher viscosity than NCS-pectin which offered the opportunity to investigate the possible role of viscosity in the hypolipidemic properties of pectin. The hamsters fed CS-pectin or psyllium had considerably lower plasma cholesterol concentrations (3.69 +/- 0.44 and 4.21 +/- 0.45 mmol/L, respectively, mean +/- SD, n = 14) than those fed NCS-pectin (5.03 +/- 1.15 mmol/L) or cellulose (5.72 +/- 1. 04 mmol/L). Differences in total plasma cholesterol were reflected in both high density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol. There was no effect of fiber on low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Liver cholesterol concentrations paralleled the plasma cholesterol levels and were 9.91 +/- 2.48 micromol/g of liver for the CS-pectin group, 15.03 +/- 5.75 for the psyllium group, 17. 69 +/- 10.66 for the NCS-pectin group, and 25.57 +/- 9.23 for the cellulose group. Fecal bile acid and neutral steroid excretion tended to be higher in the hamsters fed CS-pectin than in their counterparts fed NCS-pectin. The hamsters fed psyllium had significantly greater fecal excretions of bile acids than the hamsters fed cellulose, CS-pectin or NCS-pectin, whereas the excretion of fecal neutral sterols tended to be lower. Plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity was significantly lower in the hamsters fed CS-pectin than in those fed NCS-pectin. The results of this study suggest that the viscosity of pectins may determine their cholesterolemic effect.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Supplementation with dietary fiber improves fecal incontinence.

BACKGROUND: Human studies have shown that dietary fiber affects stool composition and consistency. Because fecal incontinence has been shown to be exacerbated by liquid stools or diarrhea, management strategies that make stool consistency less loose or liquid may be useful. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of a fiber supplement containing psyllium, gum arabic, or a placebo in community-living adults who were incontinent of loose or liquid stools. Mechanisms underlying these effects (e.g., fermentation of the fibers and water-holding capacity of stools) were examined. METHODS: Thirty-nine persons with fecal incontinence of loose or liquid stools prospectively recorded diet intake and stool characteristics and collected their stools for 8 days prior to and at the end of a 31-day fiber supplementation period. During the fiber supplementation period, they ingested psyllium, gum arabic, or a placebo by random assignment. RESULTS: In the baseline period, the groups were comparable on all variables measured. In the fiber supplementation period, (a) the proportion of incontinent stools of the groups ingesting the fiber supplements was less than half that of the group ingesting the placebo, (b) the placebo group had the greatest percentage of stools that were loose/unformed or liquid, and (c) the psyllium group had the highest water-holding capacity of water-insoluble solids and total water-holding capacity. The supplements of dietary fiber appeared to be completely fermented by the subjects as indicated by nonsignificant differences in total fiber, short chain fatty acids and pH in stools among the groups in the baseline or fiber supplementation periods. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with dietary fiber from psyllium or gum arabic was associated with a decrease in the percentage of incontinent stools and an improvement of stool consistency. Improvements in fecal incontinence or stool consistency did not appear to be related to unfermented dietary fiber.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The effects of fiber enrichment of pasta and fat content on gastric emptying, GLP-1, glucose, and insulin responses to a meal.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the addition of viscous fiber at an amount recommended by the US FDA to allow a 'low saturated fat, cholesterol, soluble fiber and coronary heart disease', health claim label on a food package (1.7 g psyllium) and/or fat (30 g sunflower oil and 3 g sodium propionate) to a pasta meal would affect gastric emptying, postprandial glucose, insulin and GLP-1 concentrations. DESIGN: Ten subjects participated in a two-by-two single blind randomized crossover study. Four meals containing 50 g of available carbohydrate were consumed: pasta with or without psyllium enrichment served with a tomato sauce with (520 kcal per meal) and without (240 kcal per meal) fat. Blood samples were taken for 240 min following the meal and all subjects consumed a buffet meal at the end of the study. Gastric emptying was measured using the paracetamol absorption test. Blood was analysed for glucose, insulin, GLP-1. Visual analog scales were used to record feelings of hunger, pleasantness and nausea. RESULTS: The psyllium-enriched pasta had no significant effect on gastric emptying or the incremental area under the curve (IAUC) for GLP-1, insulin or glucose compared with the control pasta. The addition of polyunsaturated fat and sodium propionate significantly increased the IAUC for GLP-1 (P<0.001), delaying gastric emptying (P<0.002), and decreasing glucose (P<0.002). CONCLUSIONS: A dose of 1.7 g psyllium did not evoke measurable effects on gastric emptying, postprandial GLP-1, insulin or glucose metabolism. However the addition of 30 g of oil and 3 g of sodium propionate to the pasta did reduce gastric emptying, increase GLP-1 and reduce glucose and insulin concentrations. While this short-term study may have implications in terms of reducing the risk of diabetes and improving coronary risk factor profiles the long term effects of these nutrients need to be studied.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Dietary fiber and the chemopreventive modelation of colon carcinogenesis.

Comparative international epidemiological data indicate that the difference between the highest and lowest colon cancer incidence is approximately 10-fold. This suggests that the dominant causes of colon cancer are environmental rather than genetic in origin, with the dominant environmental cause being the typical diet of Western industrialized countries. Many epidemiological and experimental studies have suggested an important role for dietary fiber in the prevention of colon cancer. Using the Fischer-344 rat as the experimental model, data clearly demonstrate a strong protective effect of a diet that is low in fat, high in fiber and high in calcium (low-risk diet). Such a diet prevents the development of both preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and colon tumors. Recent experiments have also demonstrated a direct relationship between a ras point mutation in ACF at different stages of rat colon carcinogenesis, and a ras point mutation that is subsequently present in colon tumors. Using wheat bran as the model dietary fiber source, its effects were compared to the effects of psyllium, phytic acid, vitamin E, beta-carotene, folic acid, alone or in combination, for their ability to prevent colon cancer in rats on high-risk Western-style diets. Our studies clearly demonstrated the ability of wheat bran to reduce ACF and colon tumors in rats that consumed high-fat, Western-style diets. Although phytic acid, which is a constituent of wheat bran, alone demonstrated strong cancer-preventive potential, our experiments provided evidence for the cancer-preventive effect of the crude fiber fraction that is independent of the effect of phytic acid. The synergistic combination of wheat bran with the soluble fiber psyllium led to enhanced protection; while the combination of wheat bran with beta-carotene showed only an additive effect. Beta-carotene appeared to show higher protection than wheat bran at an intake level that is nutritionally relevant to humans, suggesting the possibility of using beta-carotene to enhance the effects of dietary fiber in high-risk Western populations. Using ACF as an intermediate endpoint, it was also shown that vitamin E and beta-carotene appear to inhibit progression of ACF to colon cancer, while wheat bran and folic acid appeared to have weak cancer-preventive potential at this late stage of carcinogenesis. In conclusion, wheat bran alone, or in combination with psyllium, appears to have greater potential to inhibit earlier phases of carcinogenesis, while beta-carotene and vitamin E may also inhibit later stages of carcinogenesis. Despite considerable epidemiological and experimental evidence that increasing the fiber and lowering the fat content of the Western diet could substantially reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, the real challenge is to find effective ways to educate and motivate people to overcome their intrinsic cultural resistance to such changes in their eating habits.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Influence of two dietary fibers in the oral bioavailability and other pharmacokinetic parameters of ethinyloestradiol.

Dietary fibers are widely used in hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic, slimming diets. It is probable that their ingestion coincides with the oral administration of drugs and a modification of their pharmacokinetics can appear. In the present study, the influence of two soluble fibers (guar gum and psyllium) was evaluated on the pharmacokinetics of ethinyloestradiol (EE) when they were administered together to female rabbits via the oral route. Three groups of rabbits were used. All animals received 1 mg/kg of EE; this compound was administered alone in the control group and with 3.5 g of guar gum or psyllium in the other two groups. When guar gum was administered, there was a decrease in the extent of EE absorbed, but no change was observed in the rate of absorption. When psyllium was administered, the extent of EE absorbed increased slightly and the rate of absorption was slower.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1982

Effect of fiber on breath hydrogen response and symptoms after oral lactose in lactose malabsorbers.

The effect of ingesting cellulose, pectin, and psyllium with orally administered lactose in water or milk was tested in six lactose malabsorbers. Breath hydrogen tests were used to evaluate lactose malabsorption and mouth-to-cecum transit times. Addition of psyllium significantly reduced the breath hydrogen response, and symptoms in each subject; whereas, less diminution of expired hydrogen was seen after cellulose or pectin was added. The effect of each fiber on gastric emptying rates of an equal volume liquid meal was evaluated in three volunteers. Pectin had no effect, while the cellulose and psyllium modestly delayed emptying at approximately 30 min.

Adolescent↗