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The caecal content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA; acetic, propionic and butyric acid), caecal pH, fermentability and dry matter digestibility (DMD) were examined through balance experiments in rats fed 1 1 various indigestible carbohydrates. The following carbohydrate sources were incorporated into test diets: cellulose, oat husk, wheat bran, oat bran, pea fibre, linseed fibre, low methoxylated (LM)-pectin. guargum, 8-glucans, neosugar and raffinose. The indigestible carbohydrates, except for those in wheat bran, oat husk and cellulose, were highly fermented, ie > 90%. Caecal pH varied between 5.6 and 7.8, with neosugar and raffinose causing the lowest pH and the fibre-free diet and the diet with oat husk the highest. The caecal pool sizes of SCFA were highest with raffinose, P-glucans, LM-pectin, guargum and linseed fibre (335400 pmol) while pea fibre, wheat bran, oat bran and neosugar gave intermediate levels (137-227 pmol). The pool size with oat husk and cellulose was similar as with the basal diet ( 4 M 4 pmol). A high proportion of propionic acid was obtained with guargum and linseed fibre, whereas acetic acid was the predominant product in case of LM-pectin. On the other hand, linseed fibre gave a remarkably low proportion of butyric acid. The quantity fermented and caecal pH correlated well to the amount of SCFA with most materials (r = 0.96 and r = -0.87, respectively), an exception was neosugar and in case of fermentability also oat bran. DMD values with most of the easily fermented carbohydrates were high (> 96 YO).Exceptions were diets with P-glucans and oat bran which caused low DMD values, about 93 YO. It is concluded that indigestible carbohydrates may differ in ability to lower caecal pH and to form SCFA during fermentation.

The effects of boiling (10 min) and how differences in cultivars (n = 6), maturity (n = 2), and storage (n = 3) may affect dietary fiber in white cabbage were studied. A great variation in total dietary fiber content between boiled cabbage samples was seen (17.7 to 31.7 g/100 g dry weight basis). Total and insoluble dietary fiber following boiling could be predicted from the initial amount. Average losses for early and late cultivars were similar (about 10%) and were mainly due to insoluble polymers consisting of glucose and partly of uronic acids. The early cultivar 'Balbro' was least affected by heat treatment: only 2% total dietary fiber was lost. Harvesting before physiological maturity and short-term storage increased the loss of soluble polymers (pectic substances), whereas long-term storage decreased the loss.

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Alcoholics registered as dangerous to others were compared, by means of a health questionnaire and individual testing, with a suicidally inclined group and non-dangerous alcoholic controls. Dangerous subjects reported conspicuously few nervous complaints, whereas the suicidal group was characterized by a broad spectrum of symptoms including paranoid, depressive and aggressive feelings as well as tiredness and irritability. Intellectually they were found to be rather verbal. The controls formed an intermediate group as to the variables applied. The results tend to confirm a hypothesis of a psychopathic-neurotic continuum as a major differentiating factor between the groups.