Whole kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and bean hull reduce the total serum cholesterol, modulate the gut microbiota and affect the caecal fermentation in rats

Abstract The consumption of non-digestible carbohydrates such as dietary fibre (DF) and resistant starch (RS) alleviates chronic disease development. Our present animal study was performed to assess the serum cholesterol level and caecal fermentation of red kidney bean (RKB)-fed-rats. RKB (Phaseolus vulgaris) variety is a DF- and RS-rich leguminous plant. Male Fischer 344 rats were assigned to one of these experimental diets; the control diet (CON) containing 10% cellulose, whereas whole bean (WB) and bean hull (BH) diets containing 6.5% cellulose and 3.5% kintoki DF in each diet for a period of 4wks. WB diet was considered as a source of DF and RS, while the BH diet as a source of DF. Both WB and BH diets potentially reduced the serum cholesterol level in rats. WB diet modulated the microbial composition depending on diet preferences. Besides, the increase in propionate production was attributed to RKB resistant starch. Therefore, the result of this study demonstrated that the DF in RKB had a substantial effect on the serum cholesterol level, whereas the RS in RKB had a substantial effect on gut microbiota and caecal fermentation, which possesses the ability to alleviate the chronic disease development and confer health benefits to the host.