Results of a new study further support the health-promoting role that MGP’s Fibersym® RW, a patented Non-GMO Project Verified resistant wheat starch, can perform as a dietary fiber source.

Conducted independently at South Dakota State University (SDSU), the 12-week study showed that Fibersym RW and butyrate, which is produced by fermentation of resistant starch by the gut bacteria, may function as an epigenetic repressor of pro-inflammatory genes. Epigenetics can be defined as the study of changes in an organism’s gene activity, which are not caused by alterations in underlying DNA sequences or genetic code.

Moul Dey, Ph.D., is an associate professor of health and nutritional sciences at SDSU and was lead investigator for the project.

“Everyone is born with a genetic blueprint that rarely changes during their lifetime,” says Dr. Dey. “But diet and environment can epigenetically change how genes function without changing the genetic code. While epigenetic mechanisms are complex, this pilot study is a stepping stone to future mechanistic research to understand how resistant starch may impart various health benefits that we have previously reported.”

This newest study, the third conducted on Fibersym RW at SDSU, “substantiates earlier findings demonstrating the positive health and butyrogenic effects of Fibersym® RW,” notes Ody Maningat, Ph.D., vice president of R&D and chief science officer at MGP. “It adds to the wealth of scientific evidence supporting the beneficial physiological effects of Fibersym RW in humans. These include lowering of total blood cholesterol levels, lowering of post-prandial glucose levels, reduction of waist circumference and body fat percentage with possible associated obesity reduction outcomes, increased colonic fermentation/short-chain fatty acid production and positive modulation of colonic microflora.”

“Studies like this one make a highly appealing case for Fibersym RW in the marketplace because dietary fiber resonates so well with consumers,” adds Mike Buttshaw, vice president of ingredients sales and marketing at MGP. “According to the International Food Information Council, fiber ranked second in the list of most consumed nutrients in 2015 and 2016.”

Completed over the summer, the study investigated in vivo effects of Fibersym RW on butyrate production in the cecum and butyrate-associated regulation of inflammatory markers of colon tissues in mice. Six-week old male mice were grouped randomly to consume either a Fibersym RW diet or a control diet, both diets being isocaloric.

At the conclusion of the feeding period, cecal samples were analyzed and showed that butyrate concentration was twice as high in the Fibersym RW group than in the control group. Analysis of mouse colon tissues, as well as colon cells of human origin, revealed the repression of pro-inflammatory mediators indicating that Fibersym RW may have an anti-inflammatory role.

Titled “Dietary resistant starch type 4-derived butyrate attenuates nuclear factor-kappa-B1 through modulation of histone H3 trimethylation at lysine 27,” the study was published in Food & Function (DOI: 10.1039c6fo00856a) on August 9, 2016.

For additional details about Fibersym RW, visit mgpingredients.com/fibersym.

About MGP

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, MGP (Nasdaq: MGPI) is a leading supplier of premium distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches. Distilled spirits include bourbon and rye whiskeys, gins and vodkas, which are carefully crafted through a combination of art and science backed by decades of experience. The company's proteins and starches are created in the same manner and provide a host of functional, nutritional and sensory benefits for a wide range of food products. MGP additionally is a top producer of high quality industrial alcohol for use in both food and non-food applications. The company is headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, where distilled alcohol products and food ingredients are produced. Premium spirits are also distilled and matured at the company’s facility in Lawrenceburg, Ind.

For more information, visit mgpingredients.com.