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Previous work demonstrated that a high fiber diet upregulates proglucagon mRNA and secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1(7-37)] and insulin compared with an elemental fiber-free diet. This study examined whether similar intakes of fibers differing in physiochemical and fermentative properties alter the expression of intestinal hormones and intestinal absorptive properties. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a 50 g/kg cellulose or rhubarb fiber diet for 14 d. Ileal proglucagon mRNA levels were significantly higher in rats fed rhubarb fiber than in those fed cellulose fiber (9.3 +/- 0.9 vs. 6.2 +/- 1.0 densitometer units). Proglucagon mRNA in the colon did not differ between diet treatments. Plasma c-peptide concentrations were significantly higher 30 min after an oral glucose tolerance test in the rhubarb vs. cellulose group (1627 +/- 67 vs. 1290 +/- 71 pmol/L). Passive permeability, measured by the uptake of L-glucose, was significantly higher in the jejunum of rats fed cellulose compared with those fed rhubarb fiber. Adjusting total glucose uptake for passive permeability and unstirred water layer resistance resulted in a higher Km being calculated for the jejunum and ileum of the cellulose fiber group. Jejunal and ileal carrier-mediated uptakes (Vmax) were not altered by diet and reflected the lack of difference between groups in sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter (SGLT-1) and sodium-independent glucose transporter (GLUT2) mRNA levels. Replacing cellulose fiber with rhubarb fiber in a diet upregulated ileal proglucagon mRNA and resulted in a reduced passive permeability but did not affect glucose transport of the small intestine. This work establishes the importance of dietary fiber fermentability in modulating intestinal proglucagon expression and possibly glucose homeostasis.

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The antimicrobial activity of vanillin against four bacteria (Pantoea agglomerans, Aeromonas enteropelogenes, Micrococcus lylae, and Sphingobacterium spiritovorun), four fungi (Alternaria sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., and Fusarium sp.), and three unidentified yeasts isolated from spoiling fresh-cut mango slices was verified in laboratory media adjusted to pH 5.0. MICs of vanillin against the fungi (12.5 to 13.3 mM), bacteria (10 to 13.3 mM), and yeasts (5.0 to 6.7 mM) indicated that all the test species were sensitive to the antimicrobial effects of vanillin. Fresh-cut mango slices were dipped for 1 min in solutions containing 40 and 80 mM vanillin before being packaged in rigid trays and stored at 5 and 10 degrees C to verify the effects of vanillin on the development of the spoilage microflora. Microbiological analysis for up to 14 days of storage revealed that treatment with 80 mM vanillin significantly delayed (P < 0.05) the development of total aerobic bacteria and yeast and mold populations. Vanillin may be a practical preservative for processing fresh-cut mango.