Effect of the particle size of corn bran on the plasma cholesterol concentration, fecal output and cecal fermentation in rats

We studied the effect of the particle size of corn brain (CB) on the plasma cholesterol concentration, fecal output, and cecal fermentation. Rats were fed a fiber-free diet (FF) or FF containing CB (50 g/kg diet) of six different particle sizes (500, 350, 250, 177, 149, 105 mum in diameter) for 21 days. The fecal wet weight and wet weight of cecal content were significantly higher in the rats fed CB than in those fed FF. Liver total lipids, fecal moisture, fecal bile acids excretion and moisture of cecal content were significantly lower in the rats fed CB than in those fed FF. As the particle size decreased, the plasma cholesterol concentration, fecal wet weight, and fecal bulking effect decreased, while the liver cholesterol concentration, cecal wall weight, wet weight of cecal content, and total organic acids, acetic acid and n-butyric acid in the cecal content increased. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.