raffinose and Flatulence

Consumption of pulses is recommended to improve diet quality and decrease the risk of chronic disease. However, their constituent α-galactosides, including raffinose, are commonly thought to contribute to unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.. Using a random crossover design, healthy adults (n = 12) received control foods, control foods with 5 g raffinose, and foods with 200 g of canned chickpea (11 g fibre per day), each for three weeks following a 3-day diet rotation. Gastrointestinal symptoms (rating 0 = none to 3 = severe), compliance, and stool frequency were recorded daily.. No change in daily stool frequency (mean ± SD) was found with chickpea (1.7 ± 0.3) or raffinose (1.7 ± 0.4) compared with control (1.5 ± 0.3). Reported flatulence (mean ± SD) was rated higher with chickpea (1.0 ± 0.2, P < 0.001) and raffinose (0.7 ± 0.2, P < 0.001) compared with control (0.4 ± 0.1). Although bloating was infrequent, ratings were higher with chickpea (0.2 ± 0.1, P < 0.001) and raffinose (0.3 ± 0.1, P < 0.001) compared with control (0.0). No differences were found for diarrhea or abdominal pain.. As gastrointestinal symptoms were mild for most participants, canned chickpea may be a feasible way of increasing pulse intake and improving overall diet quality.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cicer; Cross-Over Studies; Dietary Fiber; Female; Flatulence; Food, Preserved; Functional Food; Gastric Mucosa; Gastroenteritis; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Male; Patient Compliance; Raffinose; Seeds; Severity of Illness Index; Single-Blind Method; Young Adult

Raffinose has become a major focus of research interest and recent studies have shown that besides beneficial bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus pneumoniae can also utilize raffinose and raffinose might lead to flatulence in some hosts. Therefore, it is required to find out the raffinose-metabolizing bacteria in the gut and the bacteria responsible for the flatulence. The BLASTP search results showed that the homologous proteins of glycosidases related to raffinose utilization are widely distributed in 196 of the 528 gut bacterial strains. Fifty-nine bacterial strains belonging to nine species of five genera were isolated from human feces and were found to be capable of utilizing raffinose; of these species, Enterococcus avium and Streptococcus salivarius were reported for the first time. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the supernatants of the nine species revealed that the bacteria could utilize raffinose in different manners. Glucose and melibiose were detected in the supernatants of Enterococcus avium E5 and Streptococcus salivarius B5, respectively. However, no resulting saccharides of raffinose degradation were detected in the supernatants of other seven strains, indicating that they had different raffinose utilization types from Enterococcus avium E5 and Streptococcus salivarius B5. Gas was produced with raffinose utilization by Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus macedonicus, Streptococcus pasteurianus and Enterococcus avium. Thus, more attention should be paid to the raffinose-utilizing bacteria besides bifidobacteria and further studies are required to reveal the mechanisms of raffinose utilization to clarify the relationship between raffinose and gut bacteria.

Topics: Bifidobacterium; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Enterococcus; Escherichia coli; Feces; Fermentation; Flatulence; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glycoside Hydrolases; Humans; Lactobacillus; Raffinose; Streptococcus

Red gram (Cajanus cajan L.) is an important crop for human and animal nutrition. However, raffinose family oligosaccharides present in red gram seed hinder its consumption as it is not digested by normal human carbohydrases and is further fermented by intestinal microflora, which induces flatulence. In order to make the grain legume more amenable for human consumption, we have tried to shed some light on the effect of germination followed by heat treatment methods such as autoclaving, cooking and pressure cooking on the raffinose family of sugars. These techniques, however, are primary prerequisites before consumption of the gram.. The percent removal of raffinose, stachyose and verbascose after germinating red gram seeds for 8 h followed by autoclaving was 65.6%, 58.9% and 65.3% respectively; and after cooking was 61.6%, 69.2% and 72.5%. Germinating for 16 h followed by autoclaving led to a mean decrease of 53.3% for raffinose, 60.3% for stachyose and 62.3% for verbascose. Germination of red gram seeds for 16 h followed by cooking led to a mean decrease of 71.7% for raffinose, 76.2% for stachyose and 74.0% for verbascose, respectively. The results for the percent removal of raffinose, stachyose and verbascose after germination of red gram seeds for 16 h followed by pressure cooking was 68.3%, 73.3% and 68.2% respectively.. This study demonstrates that local methods of processing reduce raffinose family oligosaccharides in red gram. The technique of germinating the seeds for 16 h followed by autoclaving, cooking and pressure cooking for the reduction of raffinose family oligosaccharides is a promising solution to overcome flatulence and increase the overall acceptance of red gram among general populace.

Topics: Cajanus; Dietary Carbohydrates; Digestion; Fermentation; Flatulence; Food Handling; Galactosides; Germination; Hot Temperature; Humans; Oligosaccharides; Raffinose

The treatment of chickpea milk was carried out in batch, repeated batch and continuous reaction by soluble and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) immobilized Aspergillus oryzae alpha-galactosidase for the removal of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs). In the batch mode of treatment 96 and 92% of RFOs hydrolysis was observed by soluble and immobilized enzyme, respectively. In repeated batch experiments, immobilized enzyme showed 70% RFOs hydrolysis up to sixth cycle. Polyvinyl alcohol immobilized alpha-galactosidase in fluidized bed reactor showed highest reduction of 94% at a flow rate of 30 ml/h. The results obtained from the present study are very interesting for industrial use of PVA-immobilized enzyme.

Topics: alpha-Galactosidase; Aspergillus oryzae; Cicer; Enzymes, Immobilized; Flatulence; Food Handling; Fungal Proteins; Humans; Hydrolysis; Polyvinyl Alcohol; Raffinose

The use of dry edible beans is limited due to the presence of flatulence factors, the raffinose oligosaccharides. Our objective was to investigate the process for the removal of oligosaccharides from pinto bean using enzymatic treatment and to compare it to removal by soaking and cooking methods. Crude enzyme preparation was produced by six fungal species on wheat bran- and okara-based substrates with soy tofu whey. The loss of raffinose oligosaccharides after soaking pinto beans for 16 h at the room temperature was 10%, after cooking for 90 min was 52%, and after autoclaving for 30 min was 58%. On the other hand, the treatment using crude alpha-galactosidase (60 U mL(-1)) produced by Aspergillus awamori NRRL 4869 from wheat bran-based substrate with soy tofu whey on pinto bean flour for 2 h completely hydrolyzed raffinose oligosaccharides. These results supported that the enzymatic treatment was the most effective among various processing methods tested for removing the raffinose oligosaccharides, and hence, crude alpha-galactosidases from fungi have potential use in the food industry.

Topics: alpha-Galactosidase; Aspergillus; Flatulence; Food Handling; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Hydrolysis; Oligosaccharides; Phaseolus; Raffinose; Temperature

Raffinose oligosaccharides (RO) are the factors primarily responsible for flatulence upon ingestion of soybean-derived products. ROs are hydrolyzed by alpha-galactosidases that cleave alpha-1,6-linkages of alpha-galactoside residues. The objectives of this study were the purification and characterization of extracellular alpha-galactosidase from Debaryomyces hansenii UFV-1. The enzyme purified by gel filtration and anion exchange chromatographies presented an Mr value of 60 kDa and the N-terminal amino acid sequence YENGLNLVPQMGWN. The Km values for hydrolysis of pNP alphaGal, melibiose, stachyose, and raffinose were 0.30, 2.01, 9.66, and 16 mM, respectively. The alpha-galactosidase presented absolute specificity for galactose in the alpha-position, hydrolyzing pNPGal, stachyose, raffinose, melibiose, and polymers. The enzyme was noncompetitively inhibited by galactose (Ki = 2.7 mM) and melibiose (Ki = 1.2 mM). Enzyme treatments of soy milk for 4 h at 60 degrees C reduced the amounts of stachyose and raffinose by 100%.

Topics: alpha-Galactosidase; Amino Acid Sequence; Ascomycota; Flatulence; Hydrolysis; Oligosaccharides; Raffinose; Soy Foods; Soy Milk

The objective of this study was to verify the effect of soaking on the factors causing flatulence in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) cv. IAC-Carioca during domestic preparation. A biological assay using recently weaned (21 days) male Wistar rats provided the Food Conversion Efficiency (FCE) and the Net Protein Ratio (NPR). Five treatments were carried out with isocaloric (350.9 +/- 37.9 kcal/100 g) and isoprotein (12.0 +/- 0.5%) experimental diets, with the following protein sources: beans cooked without soaking (BNS), beans soaked and cooked with the soaking water (BSWW), beans soaked and cooked without the residual soaking water (BSNW), control diet (casein) (CC), casein plus the total soluble solids found in the soaking water (CSS) for comparative purposes, and an aproteic diet (AP) for corrective purposes, all diets offered ad libitum. The contents of raffinose-type oligosaccharides were determined in the different domestic preparations of the beans. Significant reductions were observed in the contents of the oligosaccharides raffinose (25.0%), stachyose (24.8%), and verbascose (41.7%), and in the contents of total sugars (80.6%), reducing sugars (58.2%), nonreducing sugars (90.3%), and starch (26.8%) when soaking took place before cooking and elimination of the soaking water not absorbed by the beans (BSNW) was used. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed between the values for FCE and NPR of the control diet (casein) and control diet plus soaking water soluble solids. Neither was any significant difference between the values for the different bean treatments found, though the values for FCE and NPR were lower than those obtained for casein treatments. Thus it was verified that although the domestic preparation of the common bean significantly reduced the contents of raffinose-type oligosaccharides, total reducing and nonreducing sugars and starch, it did not interfere with its nutritive value.

Topics: Animals; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Carbohydrates; Cooking; Dietary Proteins; Digestion; Flatulence; Food Handling; Male; Nutritive Value; Oligosaccharides; Phaseolus; Raffinose; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Starch

Raffinose oligosaccharides (RO) are the major factors responsible for flatulence following ingestion of soybean derived products. Removal of RO from seeds or soymilk would then have a positive impact on the acceptance of soy-based foods. Enzymic hydrolysis of the RO is accomplished by alpha-galactosidase. While the content of RO decreases during seed germination, the activity of alpha-galactosidase increases substantially. Two alpha-galactosidases were isolated from germinating seeds by partition in an aqueous two-phase system followed by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. One of the enzyme preparations (P1) showed a single protein with M(r) of 33 kDa, and the second (P2) had two proteins with M(r) of 31 and 33 kDa. Maximal activities against the synthetic substrate rho-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-galactopyranoside (rhoNPGal) were detected at pH 5.0-5.5 and 45-50 degrees C. Both enzymes were fairly stable at 40 degrees C, but lost most of their activities after 30 min at 50 degrees C. The K(m) values for hydrolysis of rhoNPGal by the P1 and P2 enzymes were 1.55 and 0.76 mM, respectively. The K(m) values determined for hydrolysis of raffinose and melibiose by the P2 enzyme were 5.53 and 5.34 mM, respectively and galactose was a competitive inhibitor (K(i)=0.65 mM). To different extents, both enzymes were sensitive to inhibition by galactose, melibiose, CuSO(4), and SDS. Sucrose and beta-mercaptoethanol showed discrete inhibitory effects on both enzymes.

Topics: alpha-Galactosidase; Binding, Competitive; Chromatography, Affinity; Chromatography, Ion Exchange; Flatulence; Glycine max; Humans; Hydrolysis; Kinetics; Oligosaccharides; Raffinose; Seeds; Substrate Specificity; Thermodynamics

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the soaking step and the domestic processing of the common bean, on the chemical composition, the levels of phytate, tannin, starch and flatulence factors by utilizing the follows treatments: raw bean (FC), freeze-dried cooked unsoaked bean (FCSM), freeze-dried cooked bean without the non-absorbed soaking water (FCSAM), freeze-dried cooked bean with the non-absorbed soaking water (FCCAM) and the soaking water (AM). The beans were soaking for a period for 16 hours in the proportion 3:1 (water:beans) at room temperature. The effect of the phytates and tannins on the net protein efficiency ratio (NPR) and protein digestibility using male Wistar rats were studied. A decrease in the phytate content of the beans (85%) with use of soaking was observed. In the case of the tannin content, only the cooking of the beans promoted high decomposition (84%). In the (FCSAM) treatment a decrease in the raffinose (25.0%), stachiose (24.8%), verbascose (41.7%) and starch (26.8%) contents was observed. Diets containing casein (control), casein plus the soluble solids obtain from the soaking water showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) for the NPR, as well as for the different bean treatments, although these showing lower values. The treatment (FCSM) showed the higher digestibility (74.3 +/- 5.8%) of the bean treatments, the casein diets showing 94.6 +/- 0.9%. The reduction of the phytates, tannin, starch contents and flatulence factors in the common bean was most effective when the soaking water not absorbed was discarded (FCSAM).

Topics: Animals; Carbohydrates; Cooking; Digestion; Flatulence; Food Handling; Glucosides; Male; Nutritive Value; Oligosaccharides; Phaseolus; Phytic Acid; Raffinose; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Starch; Tannins

The effect of various processing treatments viz., soaking, pressure cooking, open pan cooking, germination followed by pressure cooking and roasting of whole ricebean and pressure cooking, open pan cooking and fermentation and frying of fermented batter of dehulled ricebean flour was assessed for total sugars and oligosaccharide contents. Dehulling caused a significant reduction in the raffinose and stachyose contents. Pre-soaking of ricebean caused appreciable losses in the oligosaccharide content. Germination (48 h) followed by pressure cooking and fermentation (18 h) followed by frying caused the maximum losses in the raffinose and stachyose contents.

Topics: Chromatography, Paper; Cooking; Fabaceae; Fermentation; Flatulence; Food Handling; Germination; Oligosaccharides; Plants, Medicinal; Raffinose

Raffinose and stachyose were compared to cooked California Small White beans (CSW) containing 4% alpha-oligosaccharides (stachyose and raffinose) and to oligosaccharide-free CSW solids (residue from hexane and 70% ethanol extraction of CSW) as sources of hydrogen when ingested by rats maintained in life support systems. If the oligosaccharide content were the only hydrogen source in CSW, it would have had to be 25 times as potent as CSW, but raffinose was only five times and stachyose seven times as potent as CSW. Oligosaccharide-free residue was 0.4 to 0.5 as active as CSW. Hydrogen producing potencies of stachyose and raffinose were enhanced by feeding in combinations with residue. The increases in hydrogen production from the combinations were more than additive. Thus, CSW contains at least one 70% alcohol-insoluble substance which, in addition to the oligosaccharides, is essential to bring about quantitatively the physiological response to whole beans observed in rats.

Topics: Animals; Flatulence; Hot Temperature; Hydrogen; Oligosaccharides; Raffinose; Rats; Solubility; Vegetables