Cereal Chem 66:201-205   |  VIEW ARTICLE

High-Fiber, Noncaloric Flour Substitute for Baked Foods. Properties of Alkaline Peroxide- Treated Lignocellulose.

J. M. Gould, B. K. Jasberg, L. B. Dexter, J. T. Hsu, S. M. Lewis, and G. C. Fahey, Jr. Copyright 1989 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Treatments of lignocellulosic materials such as wheat straw, corn stalks, cereal brans, or vegetable and fruit pulps with an alkaline (pH 11.5) solution of hydrogen peroxide dramatically increased their ability to absorb water, soften, and swell when hydrated. Substitution of alkaline hydrogen peroxide treated lignocellulose for cornstarch-dextrose mixtures in the diets of nonruminant animals (rats, chicks) reduced the digestibility of the diets without increasing the amount of feed consumed. As a result, the rate and efficiency of weight gain were reduced for animals consuming the diets containing treated lignocellulose. The low digestibility of alkaline peroxide-treated lignocellulose by nonruminants, in conjunction with its enhanced physical properties compared with other cellulosic ingredients for baked foods, suggests that this material may be useful as an ingredient for reducing caloric density and/or increasing dietary fiber content of baked products.