Pyrolysis of starch and its digestibility by enzymes. Characterization of indigestible dextrin.

Abstract

[Abstract] We have studied digestibility of pyrodextrin and its function as dietary fiber. We have established a procedure to obtain a high amount of indigestible moiety content through the pyrolysis of starch and which made possible industrial-scale production. Then, we studied digestibility and absorption of these products in vivo. The time course of blood sugar and insulin level in normal adults after intake of these products suggests that the indigestible moiety of these products is hardly digestible and absorptive in the upper tract. The recovery in feces is 5 to 20% relative to intake and the rest, we assumed, are fermented by intestinal flora and are transformed into volatile fatty acids, etc. The results of these studies showed that dextrin is recognized as dietary fiber physiologically as well as in vitro.