Consumption of wheat bran modified by autoclaving reduces fat mass in hamsters

Purpose: To investigate the effect that wheat bran modified by autoclaving (MWB) had on reducing fat accumulation in hamsters fed a hypercholesterolemia- and obesity-inducing diet. Methods: Male hamsters (n = 45) were randomized into 3 groups and fed a hypercholesterolemia- and obesity-inducing diet with or without 10 % standard wheat bran or MWB for 28 days. Our outcome measures included body composition measured by DXA, oxygen consumption and plasma lipids and glucose concentrations. Results: Animals fed the MWB diet had lower % fat mass (49.8 vs. 53.4 %; p = 0.02) and higher % lean body mass (47.2 vs. 44.1 %; p = 0.02) compared with controls despite no differences in food intake or weight gain. Additionally, plasma glucose tended to be lower (6.9 vs. 8.5 mmol/l; p < 0.08) in the MWB animals compared with controls. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the compositional changes in autoclaved wheat bran, specifically solubility of phenolic antioxidants and fiber, may have contributed to the lower fat accumulation in our animals. Further study is needed to determine whether the exact mechanism involved increased lipolysis and energy utilization from adipose.