In vitro fermentation profiles of undigested fractions from legume and nut particles are affected by particle cohesion and entrapped macronutrients

Abstract

Insoluble undigested food residues are the predominant dietary form of ‘fibre’ from food plants, with the potential for fermentation by microbial species resident within the large intestine. Here we present results on in vitro fermentation of undigested fractions of legumes (chickpea flour, lentil flour, mung bean flour), and nuts (peanut, almond, macadamia) using a pooled faecal inoculum from pigs fed a nut- and legume-free diet. All substrates were pre-digested in vitro. Nuts were also separated into two particle sizes (PS), cell cluster (CC = 710–1000 μm) and fine (F = 250–500 μm), to test the effect of PS. All substrates tested were fermented for 48 hours, and measured according to gas production, with lentil (within legume flours) being the highest gas producer, and peanut being the highest gas producer within nuts. Undigested fractions from Nuts_F had significantly higher gas production than those from Nuts_CC, consistent with differences in surface area between the two PS. Relative short chain fatty acid concentrations between samples as metabolite end-products were consistent with relative gas production. Analysis of unfermented residues after different fermentation times, showed that cellular integrity was a major factor controlling fermentation rates and that entrapped protein/starch (legumes) and lipid (nuts) all contributed to the fermentation outcomes.