Increasing dietary oat fibre decreases the permeability of intestinal mucus

This study investigates the influence of the dietary fibre beta-glucan on nutrient composition and mucus permeability. Pigs were fed a standard diet or a diet containing twice the beta-glucan content for 3 days (n = 5 per group), followed by the collection of small intestinal mucus and tissue samples. Samples of the consumed diets were subjected to in vitro digestion to determine beta-glucan release, nutrient profile and assessment of mucus permeability. In vitro digestion of the diets indicated that 90% of the beta-glucan was released in the proximal small intestine. Measurements of intestinal mucus showed a reduction in permeability to 100 nm latex beads and also lipid from the digested enhanced beta-glucan diet. The data from this study show for the first time that reducing mass transfer of bile and lipid through the intestinal mucus layer may be one way in which this decrease in bile re absorption by soluble fibre is enabled. (C) 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.