Effects of cellulose, agar and their mixture on colonic mucin degradation in rats

A feeding study was conducted to elucidate the role of two different fibers, cellulose and agar, and mixture of the two fibers on fecal mucinase activity in rats. Fiber-free basal control diet was mixed with either 15% cellulose, 15% agar or half cellulose (7.5%) and half agar (7.5%). These diets were fed for 5 weeks to groups of 6 male Sprague-Dawley rats. Mucinase activity was assayed in fresh rat feces. Body weight gain of rats fed different diet groups did not show significant difference (p greater than 0.05). Specific and total mucinase activity was highest in rats fed fiber-free control diet and 15% agar diet, intermediate in rats fed the fiber mixture group and lowest in rats fed 15% cellulose diet. The differences among the three groups were significant (p less than 0.05).