In affluent societies like the Danish, the diet is typically high in red meat, fat and rapidly digestible carbohydrates and low in DF; the latter limits the production of the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate in the large intestine produced by microbial fermentation of DF. This is a major problem for maintaining a healthy colon [1].
Butyrate is the preferred energy source for colonic epithelial cells and a key modulator of cell proliferation and differentiation [2] and it exerts anti-inflammatory [3], anti-oxidant [4] and anti-carcinogenic functions [5].
A high level of large intestinal butyrate is associated with protection against colorectal cancers and inflammatory conditions in the large intestine [1, 6], two life-style related diseases with high incidences in our part of the world. Increasing the intake of DF would benefit colonic health [7], but this it is not always easy to practice partly because of the negative impact of DF on the organoleptic quality of foods.
A more targeted approach to increase large intestinal butyrate supply is needed; i.e. through intake of new food ingredients/nutraceuticals that effieciently boost butyrate production and improve colonic health.
Hypothesis: The hypothesis is that by combining enzymatic modification of starches and esterification with butyrate (which couples butyrate directly onto the starch polymer), the molecular structure is changed and the digestibility in the small intestine lowered, resulting in DF properties and substantial increased delivery of butyrate to the large intestine.
It is also hypothesized that these modified butyrylated starches, when incorporated into diets will oppose the negative effects on colonic health associated with a western-style diet (WSD); high in red meats, fat and readily digestible carbohydrates and low in DF.
Objective: The objective is to achieve basic knowledge about starch based nutraceuticals for improved colonic health. More specifically the project aims to:
