In Vitro Bile Acid Binding Capacities of Red Leaf Lettuce and Cruciferous Vegetables

In the present study, we tested the bile acid binding capacity of red leaf lettuce, red cabbage, red kale, green kale, and Brussels sprouts through in vitro digestion process by simulating mouth, gastric, and intestinal digestion using six bile acids at physiological pH. Green and red kale exhibited significantly higher (86.5 ± 2.9 and 89.7 ± 0.9%, respectively) bile acid binding capacity compared to the other samples. Further, three different compositions of bile acids were tested to understand the effect on different health conditions. To predict the optimal dose for bile acid binding, we established a logistic relationship between kale dose and bile acid binding capacity. The results indicated that kale showed significantly higher bile acid binding capacity (82.5 ± 2.9% equivalent to 72.06 mg) at 1.5 g sample and remained constant up to 2.5 g. In addition, minimally processed (microwaved 3 min or steamed 8 min) green kale showed significantly enhanced bile acid binding capacity (91.1 ± 0.3 and 90.2 ± 0.7%, respectively) compared to lyophilized kale (85.5 ± 0.24%). Among the six bile acids tested, kale preferentially bound hydrophobic bile acids chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid. Therefore, regular consumption of kale, especially minimally processed kale, can help excrete more bile acids and, thus, may lower the risk of hypercholesterolemia.