Effects of oat and rye fractions on biliary and faecal bile acid profiles in Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

The effects of bran and starchy endosperm fractions of oat and rye on faecal weight and on biliary and faecal bile acids were studied in Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). The animals fed on diets supplemented with steam-flaked oat bran, oat bran or rye bran had higher wet and dry weights of faeces compared with the animals fed on the fibre-free or low-fibre endosperm diets. A higher mean percentage of biliary cholic acid and a lower mean percentage of chenodeoxycholic and lithocholic (LCA) acids was observed in the bran-supplemented dietary groups. Animals fed on the bran-supplemented diets had increased daily faecal excretion of both total saponifiable and total free bile acids compared with the animals fed on fibre-free or endosperm-supplemented diets. The mean percentage of total saponifiable bile acids in the faeces was higher, and that of free bile acids lower in the animals fed on bran-supplemented diets. A significantly lower concentration of faecal free LCA was observed in the animals fed on the rye-bran diet. Both bran and endosperm diets reduced the faecal LCA:deoxycholic acid compared with the fibre-free diet, but the bran diets had a more pronounced effect than endosperm diets.