Enzymatic production of soluble dietary fiber from the cellulose fraction of Chinese cabbage waste and potential use as a functional food source

Use of Chinese cabbage waste as a raw material for production of soluble dietary fiber was investigated. Chinese cabbage was treated with a mixture of 1 M NaOH and hydrolyzed using Celluclast 1.5 L. A supernatant was then treated using 85% ethanol, and separated into alcohol-soluble dietary fiber (ASF) and alcohol-insoluble dietary fiber (AIF) fractions. AIF effectively hindered diffusion of glucose and bile acid from dialysis membranes, and exerted a significantly (p<0.05) greater effect on retardation of bile acid activity than both carboxymethylcellulose and pectin. Water-soluble dietary fiber obtained from the cellulose fraction of Chinese cabbage using enzymatic hydrolysis is a potential source of dietary fiber with prebiotic, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects.