In vitro fermentation of dietary fibre and lignans of rye bran by human faecal bacteria

Rye is an important source of dietary fibre in the Nordic countries. Lignans are found in the same parts of the kernel as dietary fibre, i.e. in the outer layers of kernel.In the colon, dietary fibre is partly fermented to short chain fatty acids, and plant lignans are converted to mammalian lignans enterolactone (ENL) and enterodiol (END) by colonic bacteria.The fermentation products are absorbed and metabolised by the host and have important implications for human health