Utilization of purified cellulose in fiber studies

Purified cellulose-type fiber products are widely used in experimental nutrition. Their use in a broad spectrum of studies may potentially lead to the acceptance of the misconception that the various commercially available cellulose products are equivalent. In this paper we have attempted to show that this is not the case. The comparative structural data of Table 2 and the compositional data of Olsen et al provide examples which indicate that purified cellulose preparations should not necessarily be considered equivalent. Unfortunately, our current lack of understanding of how fibers are metabolized and how they may affect specific physiological parameters makes it difficult to determine which, if any, of the measurable structural and chemical properties will be of relevance for a given in vivo study. At present, it appears that researchers utilizing/evaluating the consequences of consuming a purified cellulose-type fiber would be prudent to provide at least a limited amount of data on the properties of the cellulose preparation used in their studies. The characterization of the cellulose product may be done by a variety of methods depending on the expertise of the laboratory. The methods and results discussed in this paper provide an example of the type of information which may be obtained from an in vitro characterization of cellulose products.