Effects of barley variety, dietary fiber and β-glucan content on bile acid composition in cecum of rats fed low- and high-fat diets

Diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance have been linked to changes in bile acid (BA) profiles, which in turn are highly dependent on the dietary composition and activity of the gut microbiota. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the type and level of fiber had an effect on cecal BA composition when included in low- and high-fat diets. Groups of rats were fed two barley varieties, which resulted in three test diets containing three levels of β-glucans and two levels of dietary fiber. BAs were preconcentrated using hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction and quantified by gas chromatography. The amount of the secondary BAs, lithocholic-, deoxycholic- and hyodexycholic acids was generally higher in groups fed high-fat diets compared with corresponding acids in groups fed low-fat diets (P<.05). In contrast, most of the primary and the secondary BAs, ursodeoxycholic acid and β- and ω-muricholic acids, were two to five times higher (P<.05) in groups fed low-fat diets than in groups fed high-fat diets. This was particularly true for groups fed the highest level of β-glucans and in some cases also the medium level. The BA profile in the gut was strongly dependent on the amount and type of dietary fiber in the diet, which may be useful in the prevention/treatment of diseases associated with changes in BA profiles.