Dietary Fiber and Total Enteral Nutrition: Fermentative Assessment of Five Fiber Supplements

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Abstract
Total enteral nutrition (TEN) formulas supplemented with dietary fiber, typically soy polysaccharide, are in widespread clinical use. Five commercially available dietary fiber supplements obtained from fruits (apple, grapefruit, orange, prune, tomato) were examined for potential use in TEN formulas. In uitro fermentations of 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours' duration with human fecal microbiota from three different donors were conducted to assess colonic fermentative effects. Short‐chain fatty acid and hydrogen productions differed significantly with fiber source. The most rapid fermentation rate was with tomato followed by orange, grapefruit, apple, and finally prune fiber. Such differences in fermentability should be considered when fiber sources are selected to supplement TEN formulas. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 15:267–270, 1991)