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Palm tree oil fiber as a potential functional food
Alexander G Schauss1, John A Monro2, John Vercellotti3,
Boxin Ou4. 1Natural and Medicinal Products Research,
AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc., 4117 S. Meridian, Puyallp,
WA, 98373, 2Nutrition and Health Team, New Zealand
Institute for Crop & Food Research, Private Bag 11 600,
Palmerston North, New Zealand, 3, V-LABS, Inc., 423
North Theard Street, Covington, LA, 70433-2837, 4,
Brunswick Labs, Inc., 6 Thacher Lane, Wareham, MA,
02571
Palm oil powder fiber is extracted from the trunk of the
common oil palm tree, Elaeis guineesis. Based on the fecal
bulking effects and water retention capacity of this novel
palm tree fiber, it appears to have potential as a functional
food ingredient. In rats it is superior to wheat bran and
other fibers in its ability to survive colonic fermentation,
increase fecal bulk, and retain its capacity to retain water,
with a fecal bulking index (FBI) of 214 (wheat 100), and
colonic water load /100 g diet of 57.3 (wheat 33.4), and
percentage increase in fecal water load 100/g diet due to
10% fiber inclusion of 275.3 (wheat 119.0). This finding
supports the criterion for dietary fiber efficiency based on
the definition of dietary fiber needing to contain
rehydratable polysaccharide or colloidal material. This is
further supported by a separate study showing viscosity and
stability of the final gel needed in the diet to be
nutritionally effective, beyond transit time and intestinal
tract emulsification of the fiber. Palm oil powder fiber has
unique antioxidant properties, due to its unusually high in
vitro oxygen radical absorbance capacity value (ORAC
umoleTE/g 93; HORAC mgCAE/g 32; NORAC
umoleTE/g 3; SODunitE/g 400). An acute oral toxicity
study in the rat (limit test) found no adverse effects at
2,000mg/kg body weight. The properties of this fiber may
make it a valuable addition to foods and fiber supplements.
Funding Source: Sukhe International, Selangor Daru Ehsan,
Malaysia.
