Cereal Chem. 70:530-534   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Effect of Pectin-Wheat Bran Blends on Rat Blood Lipid and Fecal Responses and on Muffin Quality.

G. S. Ranhotra, J. A. Gelroth, and B. K. Glaser. Copyright 1993 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Blends of pectin, a water-soluble fiber, and wheat bran, a rich source of insoluble fiber, were tested for their effect on blood lipid levels and fecal responses in rats. A pectin and bran blend that contained about equal amounts of each component produced a pronounced blood cholesterol-lowering effect in both hypercholesterolemic (cholesterol-fed) and normocholest erolemic rats. In hypercholesterolemic rats, the same blend also lowered liver cholesterol levels quite significantly. This blend produced quite desirable fecal responses in terms of fecal weight, volume, and density. Use in muffins to replace 20% of the flour in the formula, the 1:1 pectin-bran blend increased the total and soluble-fiber contents of the muffins several fold and reduced their caloric content by 14%.