NZ206921A - Dietary fibre product: contains less than 0.5 percent phytic acid - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £06921 592 1 POSTIDATED UNDER SECT 12il) ■o m.r.'-!..w6 r) Complete bpor.ii'ication Filed: 3o*-8& Class: 10^5 Publication C : . .3.!.JUL. 1987 I P.O. Journal, l\ia: . fill L /i'^kNro^\ / -v ^\ 1+*-* JAN <984^j NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "DIETARY FIBRE PRODUCT" We, TRICUM AB, a Swedish Company, of —O. Boa 14, S-263 01 Hoganas, Sweden, hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and'by the following statement: :1 i The present invention relates to o dietary fibre product, more particularly to a dietary fibre product based on the husks of cereal grain.

O It is nowadays considered that a low fibre diet is responsible for many of our most frequent welfare diseases, such as obstipation, diverticula diseases, colonitis, haemorrhoids, cancer coli and gall-stones. The consumption of dietary fibre prevents the occurrence of the above-mentioned diseases and can be used in the treatment thereof. It is also effective in the prevention of other diseases such as diabetes mellitus type II, arteriosclerosis and obesity. o By dietary fibre is meant those parts of plant cell walls which pass through the alimentary canal without being affected by enzymes. Plant fibre has four main constituents, i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin. In the large instestine or colon it is primarily the hemicellulose and pectin which are broken down by enzymes to form free fatty acids, lactic ocid and gases. These substances cannol be resorbed by the human body and instead cause irritation with osmotic aclivity, which has a laxative effect.

There are several compositions, such as wheat bran, on the market which are stated to have all the favourable properties of dietary fibre. However, wheat bran contains only between 25 and 35% fibre, the rest being starch, protein and fat. This low fibre content results in a high energy value in comparison with equivalent doses of concentrated fibre compositions.

Furthermore, wheat bran is a residual product and the bacteria content may be extremely high. The phytic acid content in wheat bran is also high, thus impeding the absorption of minerals in humans since a chelate complex is formed between the phytic acid and the minerals. 206921 Bulk agents are primarily used in the medical treatment of constipation, examples being psyIlium-based agents sold under the trade names Lunelax, Metamucil and Vi-Siblin and the rubber composition Inolaxol. The dietary fibre in these products consists alrrost entirely of water-5 soluble hemicellulose. There are also a nurtber of problems and drawbacks cissociated with these bulk agents in that they offer no documentation of the fibre content, which ccnplicates dosing, they are expensive and are less efficient than wheat bran. Furthermore, these agents are not very congenial since when nixed with liquid they form a gel or 10 mucilage which is found unpalatable, they have a high sugar content and have been known to cause allergies and obstructions in the oesophagus caused by the considerable formation of gel. It should be noted that frequent and protracted use of bulk agents of this type results in drastically increased caries activity due to the sugar content in the 15 products and their gel-forming properties, causing them to adhere to the teeth. The high energy content should also be noted and the fact that the fibres do not occur naturally in our diet, but are obtained from an Indian plant.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved 20 dietary fibre product based on natural substances.

Acoording to the invention, there is provided a dietary fibre V product based on the husks of cereal grain, in which the content of dietary fibre (as herein defined) exceeds 70% by weight, and the content of phytic acid is 0.5% or less by weight.

Due to the phyic acid content of the dietary fibre product of the • invention being 0.5%, or less, by weight, the inhibiting effect of the dietary fibre product on the absorption of iron, calcium and zinc is negligible. These minerals are of particular importance for pregnant wctnen, growing children, for the healing of wounds, etc. Due to the lew 30 phytic acid content, therefore, larger quantities of the dietary fibre product can be consumed with less risk of reducing the ability to absorb minerals.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the dietary fibre product is derived fran husks of wheat grain and comprises at least 70% by 35 weight of fibre, and the product ocmprises the following constituents in the proportions noted:- 206921 cellulose hemicellulose pectin lignin max. 8% by weight proteirv max. 4% by weight fat, max. 2% by weight mineralsyand max. 0.5% by weight phytic ocid As is evident from the analysis, the dietary fibre product according to this preferred embodiment of the invention has a low energy content and contains no sugar or starch which can be broken down to produce energy.

The protein portion in the dietary fibre is not accessible to human enzymes and cannot therefore in principle be broken down to produce energy.

The fibre content of a dietary fibre product according to the invention is preferably at least 80% by weight.

The product is also preferably in the form of particles, with at least 80% of the particles having a size between 0.2 and 2mm, the mean particle size being approximately I mm. The particle size is important since decomposition in the colon is lower for these larger particles than for wheat bran, for instance. Furthermore this range of particle size makes the product easier to consume orally. While wheat bran has a bitter taste, the preferred form of dietary fibre embodying the invention is substantially tasteless and can be eaten with a variety of foods such as sour milk, bread and so on. Because of the high fibre content, a product according to the invention produces a better clinical effect from a lower dose, as compared with known products. The dust-forming tendency of the preferred form of the product is also reduced as compared with known products since it is in the form of large particles. However, the fact that the fibre is substantially free of sugar and starch is also relevant to dust formation since freedoai from these substances makes the product less brittle than known products. p- 18% by weight, 35% by weight, 4% by weight, 13% by weight, .3 0 APR 1986 206921 The preferred form of dietary fibre product entoodying the invention has also better keeping qualities than comparable products on the market, partly due to its low content of water and micro-organisms.

The structure of the dietary fibre particles in a product embodying the invention has a cleaning effect on the teeth. This is partly due to mechanical action and partly because the bacteria forming plague (streptococcus mi tans) are bound to the fibre and do not adhere to the teeth.

Although the dietary fibre according to the invention is preferably manufactured in particle form, it need not necessarily be distributed in this form. The particles can be treated to give the product a granular or flake form. Tablets may also be produced by the addition of a binder followed by pressing. In order to retain the optimum ocnpcsition described above, substantially all fat is preferably removed frcm the product first, this fat being then in principle replaced by the binder. Many people prefer to consume dietary fibre in tablet form rather than mixing it in particle form with sour milk, water, etc. By using a suitable birder, and utilising a suitable degree of compression, etc. it is possible to ensure that the tablet will not be dissolved before reaching the stomach.

The dietary fibre product of the present invention may be prepared as follows: 3 Husks of cereal grain are mixed with water in a tank (1500 kg product/10 m water). The temperature is kept at 55°C for 8-12 hours, and the pH will decrease from 6.5 to about 4.5 due to lactic acid bacteria in the raw material. Starch is degraded by the enzyme amylase and when the pH reaches about 5.2, phytase will degrade the phytic acid. 3 The resulting product is de-watered and is then again mixed with 10 m water, the temperature is elevated to 55°C for 6-12 hours. The pH is kept at 6.0 and if necessary, lime is added. The protein content is degraded by the enzyme protease.

The resulting product is de-watered, the enzymes and bacteria are killed by boiling in fresh water, and in a final step the product is dried/cooled.

The resultant fibres provide dietary fibre product having a dietary fibre content exceeding 70% by weight and being lew in protein/starch/fat/ phytic acid, content. Typically, the resultant fibre product comprises 70-90% wt. fibre, max. 8%wt. protein, max. 4%wt. fat, max. 2%wt. minerals, and max. 0.5%wt. phytic acid.

The properties of a dietary fibre product embodying the invention are illustrated and discussed belcw in relation to various tests which have been conducted. v^Ssst 1 - Swelling Effect The swelling effect of water on dietary products embodying the .vention and various types of wheat bran was tested by placing a 1 gram 206921 sample of the respective moterial in o graduated cylinder, then adding woler ot a "temperature of 20°c to bring the toto! volume in the cylinder to 100ml. The swelling effect was 1hen assessed by checking volume of the material, by means of the milli-Iitre graduation on the cylinder, after I, 12 and 24 hours. The results are given in Table I below.

TABLE I Product Swelling effect in ml. . . ^ hour I hour 12 hours 24 hours Dietary fibre embodying the invention 17 17 17 17 Juvel's wheat bran 1 1 9 9 9 Kungsornen's wheal bran Kungsornen's mixed grain bran II 9 It can be seen from the above table that the dietary fibre product embodying the invention has an excellent swelling effect. I gram swells to 17ml and the product maintains this swelling effect even after 24 hours.

Test 2 - Water retention The water retaining ability of various dietary fibre compositions was measured by allowing the composition under test to be saturated with water at a temperature of 20°C for one hour. The composition was then allowed to drain through a filter paper. The fibre, with the water bound to it, remaining on the paper was then transferred to a watch-glass and weighed. This gave the water-binding capapcity of the dietary fibre product. The results are shown in Table II.

Ratio 6.7:1 10:6:1 f 30 APR 1986 TABLE II Composition Dietary fibre embodying the invention Vi-Siblin Lunelax Initial Weight quantity of sample in g 3.5 6.0 6.6 in g 27.0 54.1 76.6 Quantity h2o in g 23.5 48.1 70.0 20692 1 u O o Inolaxol .0 81.5 76.5 .3 Wheat bran, Kungsornen 3.5 .8 12.3 U.5 .0 42.5 32.5 4.3 12.0 50.5 38.5 4.2 Mixed grain bran, Kungsornen 3.5 13.5 .0 3.8 7.0 26.0 19.0 3.7 .0 .0 .0 3.5 Since substantially all storch and a certain amount of protein has been removed, the fibre content is at least 70% in the dietary fibre product embodying the invention. This means that the dietary fibre product embodying the invention has clearly better water-binding capacity than the 15 comparative bran products.

On the other hand, the psyllium-based products, which also contain AO - 50% sugar, have even better water-binding capacity. This is probably mainly due to their chemical composition and to the water soluble hemi-20 cellulose of which they are almost entirely composed. However, these products cannot be compared with the dietary fibre product according to the invention and have only been included for information.

The results obtained in Tests I and 2 are significant, since high 25 swelling and water-retention in the product result in an increased volume of excrement and produce softer excrement.

Test 3 - Effect and tolerance The object was to investigate the effect of a dietary fibre product embodying the invention on patients with colonitis or obstipation who have previously been treated with bulk laxatives (Lunelax or Vi-Siblin ), and their tolerance to the product.

Twenty-two patients participated in the experiments, five men and seven women (aged 25-81 years). Obstipation had been diagnosed for fourteen of the patients and colonitis for eight of them. The disease had persisted for at least ten weeks.

The patients were treated with a dietary fibre product embodying the invention for three weeks. Prior to treatment and again after treatment, records were made on the basis of interviews with the patients as to defecation frequency, consistency of faeces, subjective problems and the patients' opinion as to the state of the disease. After treatment, the patients were questioned as to the palatability of the product and their impression of the result of the treatment.

The dietary fibre embodying the invention was administered in doses of 3.5 g x 2.

Initially, all patients with colonitis experienced frequent, loose evacuation. After the treatment, six of them evacuated faeces of normal consistency and two of loose consistency. Of the patients suffering from obstipation, twelve defecated every two or three days and two defecated less frequently than every third day. The consistency of the faeces for three of the patients was normal; for eleven it was hard. After three treatments with the product embodying the invention, seven patients defecated every day and seven every second or third day. The consistency of the faeces was normal for ten patients and hard for four. For both groups of patients the symptoms assessed in points were reduced from 38 to 17.

Prior to treatment two patients considered themselves to be in an extremely bad way, twelve as in a bad way and eleven as not too bad. After the treatment, two patients considered themselves to be in an extremely bad way, twelve as not too bad and eight as problem-free. Six found the taste of the dietary fibre unpleasant whereas the remaining 16 considered the taste to be natural, pleasant or very pleasant. 14 patients considered the treatment to be satisfactory or extremely satisfactory, whereas the doctor considered the result to have been satisfactory or very satisfactory for 16 patients.

The results indicate that the dietary fibre embodying the invention, in the doses administered, had a normalizing effect on the consistency and frequency of the faeces and that its palatability was not less than for the 206 bulk agenls (Lunelax , Vi-Siblin ) currently on the market.

Test 4 - Effect ond tolerance The object was to study the effect of a dietary fibre product embodying the invention on obstipated children, and their tolerance to it. patients, IA of whom were girls ond 6 of whom were boys, aged 10 months up to II years took port in the experiment. The criteria for inclusion were that the patients had suffered from obstipation for at least two months and that the patients had previously been treated with chonges in diet or bulk laxatives.

The patients or their parents were interviewed before treatment as to frequency and consistency of faeces, quality of defecation, obdominal pain ond consumption of other laxatives. For eight patients the dietician also recorded a diet anamnesis. Treatment with a dietary product embodying the invention was carried out for one month, after which time the patients were ogain interviewed. As for as possible, the patients continued, in other respects, with their normal diet during treatment with the dietary fibre product embodying the invention.

Doses of from 1.7 to 3.5 g per day were administered.

Diet anamnesis indicated that four of the children consumed small quantities of vegetables whereas all of them consumed fruit in some form almost daily. Three of the children consumed too much milk and one child ate bread deficient in fibre.

Prior to treatment II out of 19 children defecated at three day intervals or evenless frequently. After one month's treatment with the dietary fibre product 10 of the 19 children defecated daily and six every other .day. Initially 18 children experienced pain during defecation. After one month's treatment with the dietary fibre product embodying the invention, only four children had slight pain during defecation. Increased defecation frequency was experienced by 16 or 18 children. The consistency of the faeces became normal in 16 cases. Twelve children had abdominal 92 1 pain before the treatment, but this disappeared in all except two cases resistant to therapy. Prior to treatment twelve children used bulk agent, ten children used peroral irritants and six rectal laxatives. After a month of treatment, however, only four of these twelve children required other laxatives together with the dietary fibre embodying the invention. Most of the children found the taste of the dietary fibre product embodying the invention to be neutral ond accepted the composition well. One child considered that the dietary fibre product did not taste pleasant and therefore terminated the treatment. This child is therefore not included in the results.

Side effects in the form of swollen abdomen and increased flatulence were noted initially but disappeared within a week.

The investigation thus shows that treatment with the dietary fibre product embodying the invention produced favourable results as to the number of defecalions, quality and consistency of the faeces, in obstipated children from 10 months to I I years of age. As evocuation habits were normalized, abdominal pain also disappeared.

During treatment with the dietary fibre product embodying the invention, the use of other laxatives was reduced and only one child with extremely aggravated obstipation needed to use a supplementary laxative. The composition embodying the invention was tolerated well.

Test 5 - Effect on plasma cholesterol Studies have shown that the consumption of dietary fibre products embodying the invention can alter the plasma-lipoprotein pattern of patients suffering from hypercholesterolemaemia. To establish the reason for these positive effects, the adsorption ability of bile salts has been investigated in vitro for dietary fibre embodying the invention, psyllium (Lunelax , Metamucil and Vi-Siblin ) and for cholestyramin (Questran ) which is an ion-exchanger and not a dietary fibre. Cholestyramin is a registered medicine for binding bile salts through its ion-exchanging ability.

These investigations showed that the dietary fibre embodying the 20c :' invention hod o high ability to odsorb both conjugated and unconjugated bile salts. The adsorption process was saturatable, reversible and showed no specificity with respect to tauro-conjugated or glycine-conjugated bile salts. Binding was rapid, pH-dependent ond inhibited to a certain extent at high salt concentrations, with 6 M ureo. This indicates that binding is both hydrophobic and hydrophilic. The dietary fibre product embodying the invention adsorbed sodium taurodeoxycholate to a significantly greater extent than was the case with psyllium (Lunelax , Metamucll , Vi-Siblin }. Cholestyramin (Questran ), however, hod the most pronounced adsorbency of the compositions compared in this respect.

The results show that the dietary fibre product embodying the invention adsorbs both tauro-conjugated ond glycin-conjugated bile salts to a greater extent that other dielary fibres. The mechanism behind the positive effects of the dietary fibre product embodying the invention on plasma-cholesterol may be assumed to be due to inhibition of readsorption of bile salts in the distal intestines, resulting in increased decomposition of cholesterol in the bile acid synthesis.

Test 6 - Perishability The perishability of a dietary fibre product embodying the invention was investigated in storage tests at 25°C and at 45°C. 200 gram samples of the fibre product were placed in unsealed polythene bogs and stored at 25°C for 24 months and 200 gram samples of the fibre were placed in open glass jars and stored at 45°C for 24 months.

The chemical reaction rate is doubled for a temperature increase of I0°C and storage for 24 months at 45°C is therefore equivalent to storage for 96 months at 25°C. ' to ascertain the perishability of the product, the following were examined: alteration in fibre content hygroscopicity and alteration in taste and smell

Claims (12)

206 No change in fibre content could be discerned after storoge at normal or Increased temperature. No change in weight could be detected in the stored material. Smell and taste were judged to be the same at the various testing times and were characterised as a faint smell and taste of grain. Thus it is possible to produce, in accordance with the invention, a dietary fibre product which increases the volume of excrement and makes it softer, reduces time of passage through the intestines, binds organic compounds, absorbs bile salts, lowers the blood lipid content, influences carbohydrate metabolism and gives an enhanced feeling of satisfaction. Furthermore, such a product con be made to be palatable to the consumer and to have substantially no taste. A dietary fibre product embodying the invention may be used as means of regulating intestinal movement, as a cure for obstipation, diverticula diseases, colonitis, haemorrhoids, anal fissures, diabetes mellitus type II, and gallstones, as a prophylactic agent against obstipation, diverticula diseases, colonitis, haemorrhoids, anal fissures, diabetes mellitus type II, and gallstones, andfor pre-operative and post-operative inteneration of the foeces. Such o product may also be used for cleansing the colon prior to coloscopy. The matter contained in each of the following claims is to be read as part of the general description of the present invention. What we claim is: 206921

1. A dietary fibre product made from the husks of cereal grain, in which the content of dietary fibre (as herein defined) exceeds 70% by weight, and the content of phytic acid is 0.5% or less by weight.

2. A dietary fibre product according to claim 1, which ccrprises:-70 to 90% by weight fibre, max. 8% ty weight protein, max. 4% by weight fat, max. 2% by weight minerals, and max. 0.5% by weight phytic acid.

3. A dietary fibre product according to claim 2, in which the fibre content is at least 80% by weight.

4. A dietary fibre product according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is made fran the husks of wheat grain.

5. A dietary fibre product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is in the form of particles and in which at least 80% of the particles are sized between 0.2 and 2 rrm, the mean particle size being approximately 1 irm.

6. A dietary fibre product according to claim 5, produoed by a method in which the particles are treated to give the product a granular or flake form.

7. A dietary fibre product according to claim 5, produoed by a method in which the fat content in the fibres is reduced or substantially eliminated after which the fibre particles are compressed with a suitable binder to form tablets.

8. A method -of making tablets containing a dietary fibre product made frcm the husks of cereal grain, in which the content of dietary fiber (as herein defined) exceeds 70% by weight and the content of phytic acid is 0.5% or less by weight, and which product comprises particles at least 80% of which are sized between 0.7 and - 13 - FEB 1987 206921 2mm and in which the mean particle size is approximately 1mm, the method including the steps of reducing the fat content in the fibre product, subsequently mixing the fibre product particles with a binder and subsequently compressing the fibre product particles with said binder to form tablets.

9. A method of preparing a dietary fibre product comprising at least 70% by weight dietary fibre and less than 0.5% phytic acid, which process comprises subjecting a mixture of a cereal grain bran in water to a temperature of about 55°C for a period of about 8-12 hours sufficient to permit the naturally-occurring phytase in the bran to reduce the phytic acid content to below about 0.5% by weight; enzymatically degrading the starch content and the protein content by addition of amylase and protease, respectively, so as to reduce the starch content and the protein content to desired low levels? thereafter further increasing the temperature of the mixture to about the boiling point of water so as to halt the enzymatic reactions; then recovering the resultant dietary fibre product comprising at least 70% by weight dietary fibre and less than 0.5% phytic acid.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said cereal grain bran is wheat bran.

11. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the resultant product is dried/cooled.

12. A dietary product comprising at lea&t 7 0% by weight dietary fibre and less than 0.5% phytic acid, obtained by the method of any one of claims 9 to 11. TRICUM AB, Py its Patent Attorneys, HENRY" HUGHES LIMITED B,: b 2 APR 1987 vsl2 ^ c r-1 - 14 -