Wheat dextrin fermentation and gut bacteria in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests, wheat dextrin made less gas during fermentation than inulin or partially hydrolyzed guar gum.
It also led to higher levels of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus after 24 hours.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Gas production
Wheat dextrin produced the least gas at 8, 12, and 24 hours. Inulin produced the most gas by 8 hours.
pH levels
Each fiber reached its lowest pH at different times: inulin at 8 hours, partially hydrolyzed guar gum at 12 hours, and wheat dextrin at 24 hours.
Short chain fatty acids
All fibers had higher total short chain fatty acid concentrations than the control at 24 hours. Inulin produced more butyrate than wheat dextrin at 24 hours, while partially hydrolyzed guar gum was similar to both.
Gut bacteria
After 24 hours, wheat dextrin had higher levels of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus compared to the control. These results are exploratory and need more research.
What the authors conclude
“Microbial levels observed at 24 h suggest a possible prebiotic effect of WD reported in vivo and warrant further investigation.”
Also in their conclusions
- They found differences in the rate of fermentation among the fibers.
- They say wheat dextrin may be better tolerated at higher doses than inulin and partially hydrolyzed guar gum.
- They suggest that the microbial levels seen with wheat dextrin hint at a possible prebiotic effect and warrant further investigation.
How it was done
Little is known about how wheat dextrin and partially hydrolyzed guar gum affect gut bacteria. The authors wanted to compare how these fibers ferment.
They fermented wheat dextrin, inulin, and partially hydrolyzed guar gum with a digestion pretreatment and fecal bacteria from three healthy adults. They measured pH, gas, hydrogen, methane, and short chain fatty acids at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours. They also measured Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus at 24 hours.
What it can’t tell you
- These are lab tests using fecal bacteria, not studies in people. They cannot show what happens in the human gut.
- The microbial analysis was done only once and had a small sample size, so no statistics could be done.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Minnesota, USA
The paper
- Title
- Fermentation profiles of wheat dextrin, inulin and partially hydrolyzed guar gum using an in vitro digestion pretreatment and in vitro batch fermentation system model
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Noack J, Timm D, Hospattankar A, Slavin J (2013). Fermentation profiles of wheat dextrin, inulin and partially hydrolyzed guar gum using an in vitro digestion pretreatment and in vitro batch fermentation system model. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu5051500Free full textPubMed 23645025DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error