Total Dietary Fiber Determined as Neutral Sugar Residues, Uronic Acid Residues, and Klason Lignin (The Uppsala Method): Collaborative Study

Abstract

A joint AOAC/American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) collaborative study was conducted to determine by the Uppsala method the dietary fiber content and its composition in various foods. The method includes preparation of a residue by treatment with thermostable alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase and then ethanol precipitation of solubilized dietary fiber components while leaving low-molecular weight carbohydrates in solution. After acid hydrolysis of residue, neutral polysaccharide residues are determined as alditol acetates by gas-liquid chromatography, uronic acid residues are determined by colorimetry, and ash-free acid-insoluble residue (Klason lignin) is determined gravimetrically. Total dietary fiber, including enzyme-resistant starch, is calculated as the sum of nonstarch polysaccharide residues and Klason lignin. Nine laboratories completed the study, analyzing in duplicate 8 unknown dried products that included 4 cereal products, green peas, potato fiber, carrots, and apples. Total dietary fiber contents of products tested ranged from 4.6 to 84.3%, with an average RSDR value of 8.4% (range, 4.8-11.1%). Total neutral polysaccharide residues ranged from 3.8 to 64.1%, with an average RSDR value of 7.5% (range, 5.4-10.5%). Individual neutral sugars (rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose, and glucose) and uronic acid residues present at more than 1% generally had good RSDR values (3.3-22.8%), whereas, as expected for Klason lignin, only the wheat bran sample with a high content (16%) had an excellent RSDR value (5.0%). The gas chromatographic-colorimetric-gravimetric method (Uppsala method) for determination of total dietary fiber (as neutral sugar residues, uronic acid residues, and Klason lignin) has been adopted first action by AOAC INTERNATIONAL.