New prebiotic fiber, GI tolerance is higher than inulin

Recently, an unpublished clinical trial result found that the overall gastrointestinal tolerance of the prebiotic fiber arabinoxylan is greater than that of inulin. The raw material can be used in foods and functional beverages. This trial uses Comet Bio's patented commercial product Arrabina.

This study shows that the maximum daily intake is 12 grams. Like other prebiotics, Arrabina is believed to play a key role in the microbial flora. This indigestible ingredient can enter the gastrointestinal tract to provide "food" for beneficial bacteria.

Arabinoxylan is a dietary fiber approved by the US FDA and is found in the leaves, stems and shells of many plants. Unlike other dietary fiber, it is very difficult to extract. Comet Bio extracts this raw material from recycled plant materials, which allows farms and food/beverage manufacturers to provide consumers with prebiotic fibers, thereby reducing agricultural waste and having sustainable benefits. Comet Bio estimates that global food waste will cost US$46 billion.

In this placebo, controlled double-blind study, 44 healthy volunteers took 6 or 12 grams of Arrabina per day, or took the same amount of placebo, which were all formulated into powdered mixed drinks. The test lasted for 3 weeks, including the washout period. For a period of time, the participants ingested these foods every day and evaluated them according to eight aspects of gastrointestinal discomfort, including flatulence, bloating, and nausea. In addition, consumers also completed defecation habit questionnaires and favorability questionnaires.

Arrabina is not statistically different in dose and placebo, meaning it is well tolerated. Within the tolerance range, people are more concerned about bloating, which is common in prebiotic intake. Comparing the data with inulin in the literature, it was found that the proportion of participants reporting bloating symptoms was lower. Compared with 5 grams of inulin, 12 grams of arabinoxylan has a lower frequency of bloating symptoms, only about half of the population.

The clinical trial also assessed the status of the microbial flora and found that bifidobacteria proliferated significantly at the end of the treatment. In addition, a survey on the degree of preference found that Arrabina and placebo were not significantly different, indicating that there was no interference of taste, texture, and appearance preferences on the survey results. The bowel habits questionnaire survey found that there was no significant difference between Arrabina and placebo, which means that prebiotic fibers did not cause negative pressure on gastrointestinal health.

More importantly, this is a relatively innovative product and a commercial approach to obtain prebiotics. It can be used in various end-product applications. Gastrointestinal tolerance is a problem for all prebiotic products, and it is also a problem for every prebiotic product. What manufacturers and consumers want to know in the existing market. Further clinical research aims to observe other benefits that Arrabina may bring, as well as to further study species with increased numbers of beneficial bacteria.