Winter 2001 Issue — A Revolutionary New Starch to Support Gut Health

Fred Brouns, Jo Goossens and Thomas Draguhn

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During the last decade it has been recognised that the large bowel plays a significant role in our immune defence. Research has shown that impairments in butyrate supply to colon cells induce gut atrophy and functional impairments, including reduced immune responses. In contrast, enhanced butyrate supply to the colonocytes induces growth of the gut epithelium, gut cell differentiation and improvement of immune-surveillance.

The specific action of butyrate to promote the growth and development of normal intestinal cells, while inhibiting processes that lead to diseased and abnormal cells, is highly significant for health maintance.

These observations have prompted the food industry to focus more on dietary fibres that that lead to a high butyrate production in a large segment of the colon.

Resistant starch is very interesting because, compared to other dietary fibres; it offers much greater potential to increase fibre consumption in the population. CERESTAR has worked intensely towards finding the best solution. This has resulted in the development of CACTISTAR®.

The Health Benefits of Resistant Starch (RS)

RS is revolutionary in promoting intestinal health thanks to its potential as a prebiotic and, above all, as a butyrate producer.

CActiStar has a high level of resistant starch, which is well fermentable and produces a large quantity of short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate.

An essential and vital short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), butyrate is the preferred energy source of the colonic cells (colonocytes) that line the large intestine.

Butyrate helps to control the growth and overall metabolic activity of these cells, resulting in improved intestinal health and a reduced risk of digestive disorders. RS is well known to induce a high butyrate production and CActiStar is very rich in resistant starch.

CActiStar's is made from native starch by generating microscopic structures that are not hydrolysed by digestive enzymes in the small intestine. 60% of CActiStar is resistant and has been shown to reach to reach the large intestine in humans where it is fermented to SCFAs, mainly butyric acid. The specific structure of CActiStar favours its fermentation to butyrate more than any other fermented carbohydrate, and causes RS to reach the lower part of the large bowel, which is likely the most important part for health maintenance of the colon.

Additional Health Benefits

Bifidogenicity

It is generally accepted that RS is selectively utilised by and promotes colonisation of bifodobacteria and lactobacilli.

Diabetes

CActiStar also offers benefits for diabetics. Its consumption results in a low insulin secretion response.

Calories and Satiety

RS can also be used in "slimming foods". Due to the high fraction of RS, CActiStar in food may help to reduce caloric intake while supporting a healthy digestion.

Health Benefit Potential

• Butyrogenicity - Support to maintain a healthy colon
• Prebiotic - Stimulate the growth of "friendly" bifidobacteria and lactobacilli
• Dietary fibre - Ensure a healthy digestive system
• Immunity - Supports the immune system
• Reduced glycaemic response - Maintain health blood glucose and insulin levels
• Low calorific value - Reduce energy intake

Digestive Tolerance

Compared to fast fermenting oligosaccharides CActiStar is very well tolerated, up to such high levels as 60g/day.

CActiStar Functionality

CActiStar consists of a white, bland tasting powder that can be added to liquids without lumping. Its low water-binding capacity and low viscosity mean that it does not interfere with the swelling of other hydrocolloids but enables their full viscosity development.

CActiStar is not hydroscopic and does not gel or lump, even at very high water activity. Unlike other RS products based on high-amylose starch, CActiStar has a very fine granular structure, which provides a pleasant, non-sandy mouthfeel. In addition to dry and intermediate moisture foods (particularly bakery products and drinks), CActiStar is also suited for liquid (low-fat) products such as milk desserts, where it is similarly stable.

CActiStar can also be used in many categories of foodstuffs. Most appropriate are applications that will contribute to an increase in the pre-existing daily intake of RS. Suitable applications are:

• Bread
• Biscuits
• Breakfast cereals
• Muesli
• Cereal bars
• Ready-to-use powdered mixes
• Instant soups
• Powdered drinks
• Flavoured milks
• Low-fat milk desserts

CActiStar has good sensorial properties, which allows high inclusion levels in foods; Table 1 shows that each serving of food can provide a significant amount of RS:

Table 1

CActiStar Advantages

• CActiStar is an excellent source of RS. 60% reach the large bowel.
• CActiStar is an easily fermentable resistant starch producing greater amounts of butyrate compared to other fermentable carbohydrates.
• With less viscosity than high-amylose derived products, CActiStar does fit easily to the final product.
• CActiStar has a very bland taste and smooth mouthfeel, which allows to be included in foods at high quantities.
• CActiStar is stable at low pH and during food fermentation (bread) and therefore can be used in application such as bread, beverages where oligosaccharides are unsuitable.

CActiStar: a Natural Product

Obtained by enzymatic treatment and retrogradation of tapioca starch, CActiStar consists of a natural RS fraction (up to 60%) composed of insoluble crystallites and a non-resistant fraction composed of soluble oligosaccharides.

Food Regulation - Europe

In the EU CActiStar is a regular food ingredient and should be labelled on food products as 'hydrolysed starch'. For the purposes of nutritional labelling it should be regarded as a dietary fibre.

Food Regulation - US

In the US, CActiStar is a 'food starch modifier' (21 CFR § 172.892)

Cerestar is a global manufacturer of starches and starch derivatives. As Europe's leading starch producer and the fifth largest in the world market, its activities are controlled from Paris, France, with sales offices and production facilities located throughout the world.

Cerestar products range from regular and modified starches for good, pharmaceutical and industrial applications through glucose and high-fructose syrups to maltodextrins and spray-dried glucose syrups, dextrose, sorbital, mannitol, malttol, xylitol, erythritol, cyclodextrins, caramel, citric acid and sodium citrate, wheat gluten, maize oil and animal feed ingredients.

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