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Abstract:
Two sources of dietary fibre were discussed in this presentation: soybean and fenugreek. Soybean dietary fibre (SDF) was found to be effective in reducing plasma glucose levels in diabetic and fa/fa rats, ob/ob mice and in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects. Supplementation of SDF in bread was more effective in glucose reduction than powder. SDF was also found to be more effective in subjects with fasting blood glucose levels above 7.2 mmol/l. SDF had no effect on insulin levels in rats or NIDDM subjects although the insulin levels in ob/ob mice were lower after 180 d feeding. SDF had no effect on body weight or lipid levels in rats and human subjects. However, in diabetic rats with high levels of blood cholesterol, SDF feeding decreased the cholesterol levels after 45 d SDF administration. Addition of powdered fenugreek to an oral glucose tolerance test significantly reduced the subsequent postprandial blood glucose level in diabetic rats. Inclusion of fenugreek to the meal tolerance test given to NIDDM also decreased the postprandial blood glucose levels. Fenugreek was found to reduce the rate of gastric emptying and to inhibit glucose transport, indicating the blood modulating effect of fenugreek to be due mainly to delayed gastric emptying with direct interference with intestinal glucose absorption. Soybean and fenugreek dietary fibres reveal a potential benefit for the control of glucose metabolism in diabetes with additional advantages resulting from their ease in usage either in a mixture of water or milk products or in cooking.