Branded soluble fiber, Litesse, may support lipid metabolism says recent animal study

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IFF (formerly DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences; New York City, NY), in collaboration with Afekta Technologies Ltd. (Kuopio, Finland) and the University of Oulu in Finland, recently released findings on the effects of Litesse polydextrose. Previous findings from an animal study found that the soluble fiber had prebiotic effects, altering the gut microbiota, as well as reducing fasting triglycerides and total cholesterol plasma levels in mice being fed a Western diet - a diet characterized by a high intake of saturated fats and sucrose, and a low intake of fiber. The new study builds on existing research by furthering the understanding of the ingredients’ mechanisms of action.

In the study, blood and epididymal adipose tissue samples that were collected from mice fed a Western diet, with or without oral administration of polydextrose, to determine metabolic changes through metabolomic analyses. “Metabolomic analytics are increasingly being used in food and nutrition research and, when investigating research questions related to the function of gut microbiota,” explains Olli Kärkkäinen, PhD, CEO, Afekta Technologies Ltd., in a press release. “With metabolomics, it is possible to explore the conversion products made by gut microbiota from dietary components, and examine what kind of metabolic alterations they evoke in the circulation and potential target tissues.”

The analysis found significant differences between control mice and those taking polydextrose. Consumption of polydextrose was associated with increases in bile acid derivative deoxycholic acid and the microbiome-derived tryptophan metabolite indoxyl sulfate. In mice given polydextrose, bile acid and tryptophan metabolism were associated with hypolipidemic effects.

“While there are many dietary fibers on the market today, not all fibers act in the same way. Our study strongly supports this, which is why further investigation on whether the positive changes in lipid metabolism are also observed in humans is warranted,’’ concluded Heli Anglenius, MD, senior scientist, IFF, in a press release.

Reference

1. Raza, G. S. et al. “Polydextrose changes the gut microbiome and attenuates fasting triglyceride and cholesterol levels in Western diet fed mice.” Scientific Reports, vol. 7, no. 11. (2017)
2. Saarinen MT et al. “Metabolomics analysis of plasma and adipose tissue samples from mice orally administered with polydextrose and correlations with cecal microbiota.” Scientific Reports, Published online ahead of print December 9, 2020