Tuber flours improve intestinal health and modulate gut microbiota composition

ABSTRACT: Highlights • Tuber flours decreased the body weight gain in rats compared with starches.• Gut integrity and digestive/absorptive function were improved by whole flour diets.• Gut microbiota in cecum and colon were reshaped by different diets.• Butyric acid content in ileum, cecum and colon were increased by tuber flours. The different health effects between starch and whole flour from tubers are rarely studied. Here, we investigated the effects of cassava flour (CF), cassava starch (CS), potato flour (PF), and potato starch (PS) on gut health and gut microbiota of normal rats. Feed analysis showed that CF and PF diet provided significantly more slowly digestible and resistant starch, less rapidly digestible starch. Compared with rats fed with PS and CS diets, rats fed with PF and CF diets gained less body weight and have tighter intestinal barrier. Butyric acid contents were increased by tuber flours. CF and PF selectively promoted the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Eubacterium ruminantium in cecal and colonic content. In conclusion, tuber flour has intestinal protection, body weight control, and gut microbiota improving ability compared with starch. The different composition of starch might be the basis for these effects.

SUBMITTER: Xu T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8571703 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature