Alfalfa fiber

Smith-Barbaro a. (26) in our laboratory determined the capacity of various fibers to bind the colon carcinogen 1.2-di-methylhydrazlne (DMH) in vitro. The percent of DMH bound to wheat bran, corn bran, alfalfa fiber and dehydrated citrus pulp was dependent on pH of the medium as well as the type of fiber examined. Results from this study show that at colonic pH, a greater percent of DMH was bound by wheat bran than by citrus pulp. Therefore, it is possible that certain fibers bind carcinogen at colonic pH, thus making it unavailable for contact with the colonic mucosa. Other fibers such as pectin (soluble fiber) do not bind DMH at colonic pH, but may modify the metabolism of carcinogen via actlvation/deactlvatlon steps either in the liver and/or in the colonic mucosa. 

Fiber complexes of ten tobacco cultlvars as byproducts of the leaf protein extraction process contain levels of neutral and acid detergent fiber comparable to that of alfalfa fiber and in excess of that in wheat bran. Compositional analyses revealed lesser concentrations of cellulose, lignin, and lipid but a greater amount of hemlcellulose in tobacco than in alfalfa. In reference to wheat bran, tobacco fiber has comparable amounts of Na, P, S,... 

These values were significantly higher than those of wheat bran. Alfalfa fiber had the highest amounts of both detergent fibers although the amounts were not statistically different from those of the tobacco cultlvars ranked high in detergent fiber content. 

Sreenath HK, Moldes AB, Koegel RG, Straub RJ. Lactic acid production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of alfalfa fiber.J Biosci Bioeng 2001 92 518-23. 

Cassava bagasse Pineapple waste Cassava bagasse Alfalfa fiber Soya fiber Pearl barley... 

Seo et al. (1999) used a planar optic biosensor that measures the phase shift variation in refractive index due to antigen binding to antibody. In this method, they were able to detect S. enterica serovar T) himurium with a detection limit of 1 x 10 cfu/ml. When chicken carcass fluid was inoculated with 20 cfu/ml, the sensor was able to detect this pathogen after 12 h of nonselective enrichment. A compact fiber optic sensor was also used for detection of S. T) himurium at a detection limit of 1 X 10" cfu/ml (Zhou et al., 1997, 1998) however, its efficacy with food samples is unproven. Later, Kramer and Lim (2004) used the fiber optic sensor, RAPTOR , to detect this pathogen from spent irrigation water for alfalfa sprouts. They showed that the system can be used to detect Salmonella spiked at 50 cfu/g seeds. An evanescent wave-based multianalyte array biosensor (MAAB) was also employed for successful testing of chicken excreta and various food samples (sausage, cantaloupe, egg, sprout, and chicken carcass) for S. T) himurium (Taitt et ah, 2004). While some samples exhibited interference with the assay, overall, the detection limit for this system was reported to be 8 x 10 cfu/g. 

Ershoff (14, 16) tested the effects of a vast array of fibers on toxicity of 5 sodium cyclamate. In male rats the most complete protection was afforded by 10 gum Karaya, 10 blond psyllium seed or husk, 20 alfalfa meal and 20 carrot root powder. The most effective substance in female rats was alfalfa meal fed as 15 or 20 of the diet (Table IV). 

Fat. Fats tend to depress the cellulolytic activity of rumen microorganisms. For example 3% of com oil was sufficient to depress the digestibility of crude fiber in rations high in com cobs and cottonseed hulls, and 10% com oil produced a pronounced depression (42). Addition of alfalfa ash offset this effect when com oil did not exceed 5%... 

The effect of alfalfa, wheat bran and cellulose on the incidence of intestinal tumors induced by AOM was further studied in Sprague-Dawley rats fed diets containing 10% alfalfa, wheat bran or cellulose and 30% beef fat, 20% alfalfa, bran or cellulose and 6% beef fat, or 30% alfalfa, bran or cellulose and 6% beef fat (21). The presence of 10% fiber in the high fat diet did not reduce the frequency of intestinal tumors. However, in the same study, presence of 20% bran or cellulose or 30% of any... 

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