Correlation between anti-toxic activity and settling volume in water of beet dietary fiber in rats fed a toxic dose of amaranth (food and C red No.2)

The relationship between the anti-toxic activity and settling volume (SV) in water, expressed as ml/g dry matter, of beet dietary fiber (BDF) and various fractions prepared from BDF was compared in male rats fed a 25% casein-sucrose diet together with a toxic dose of amaranth (Food & C Red No. 2). The SV of the fibers was also measured before and after their treatment with bacterial protease and lipase. The SV increased with increasing particle size of BDF over the range of 7 to 250 mesh. Enzyme treatment increased the SV of BDF by 2 to 4 folds. The same increase was found with the enzyme treatment of other vegetable dietary fibers prepared from butterbur, asparagus, and edible burdock, but not when cereal dietary fibers from wheat and corn bran were treated. The anti-toxic activity of BDF was more closely related to the SV after enzyme treatment than before treatment. The SV of enzyme-treated dietary fiber has a stronger physiological effect than that of untreated dietary fiber.