Lactic acid fermentation of germinated barley fiber and proliferative function of colonic epithelial cells in loperamide-induced rats.

To develop a functional food from the dietary fiber fraction of germinated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (GBF), lactic acid fermentation was attempted using Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidus. The quality characteristics of the lactic acid-fermented product and its effect on gastrointestinal function in an animal model were examined. The anaerobic fermentation of 1% and 2% GBF yielded lactic acid bacteria at 8.9 +/- 1.0 x 10(8) and 1.6 +/- 0.2 x 10(9) colony-forming units/mL, and it was considered acceptable for consumption by sensory assessment. To determine the effect on gastrointestinal function, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with three types of diets: a normal chow diet and chow diets supplemented with 10% lactic acid bacteria or a yogurt fermented with 2% GBF (GBFY). The rats fed GBFY for 6 weeks gained less body weight, excreted more fecal mass, and had improved gastrointestinal transit as examined with barium sulfate. The effect of GBFY on colonic epithelial proliferation was investigated through loperamide (LPM)-induced constipation in rats. The rats fed with GBFY for 6 weeks were intraperitoneally administered LPM twice daily for 7 days. GBFY supplementation decreased fecal excretion and moisture content in feces and depleted goblet cells as observed by hematoxylin and eosin stain. However, the rats supplemented with GBFY prior to the LPM administration had enhanced bowel movement, mucin secretion, and production of short-chain fatty acids compared with values for the LPM-alone group. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the GBFY supplement increased the numbers of nuclei stained positively for Ki-67 and extended from the base to the middle zone of crypts. These results indicate that GBFY alleviates constipation via the proliferation of the colonic crypts in LPM-administered rats.