Effects of BARLEYmax and high-β-glucan barley line on short-chain fatty acids production and microbiota from the cecum to the distal colon in rats.

We investigated whether supplementation with the barley line BARLEYmax (Tantangara; BM), which contains three fermentable fibers (fructan, β-glucan, and resistant starch), modifies the microbiota in cecal and distal colonic digesta in addition to short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production more favorably than supplementation with a high-β-glucan barley line (BG012; BG). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups that were fed an AIN-93G-based diet that contained 5% fiber provided by cellulose (control), BM or BG. Four weeks after starting the respective diets, the animals were sacrificed and digesta from the cecum, proximal colon and distal colon were collected and the SCFA concentrations were quantified.