Short Communication

Wheat-fibre-induced changes of postprandial peptide YY and ghrelin responses are not associated with acute alterations of satiety

Martin O. Weickert^a1a2 c1, Joachim Spranger^a1a2, Jens J. Holst^a3, Bärbel Otto^a4, Corinna Koebnick^a5, Matthias Möhlig^a1a2 and Andreas F. H. Pfeiffer^a1a2

^a1 Department of Clinical Nutrition, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 155, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany

^a2 Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Charité-University-Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany

^a3 Department of Medical Physiology, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark

^a4 Department of Medicine, University Hospital Innenstadt, Ziemssenstrasse 1, 80336 Munich, Germany

^a5 Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA

Abstract

Weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes are inversely associated with a high intake of insoluble cereal fibres. Because nutrient-induced changes of ‘satiety hormones’ from the gut may play a role in this process, we evaluated the effects of purified insoluble fibres on postprandial responses of plasma peptide YY (PYY), serum ghrelin and satiety as secondary outcome measures of a study investigating effects of cereal fibres on parameters of glucose metabolism. Fourteen healthy women were studied on six occasions in a randomized, single-blind, controlled crossover design. After 24 h run-in periods and 10 h overnight fasts, subjects ingested isoenergetic and macronutrient matched portions of control white bread or fibre-enriched bread (wheat-fibre or oat-fibre) at 08.15 hours. Gut hormones and hunger scores were measured for 300 min. Basal PYY and ghrelin concentrations were not different between the test meals (P>0·15). Postprandial responses of PYY and ghrelin were blunted after the intake of wheat-fibre (total area under the curve (AUC) PYY, 177·9 (sem 8·1) (pmol/l) min; P=0·016; ghrelin 51·0 (sem 2·5) (pmol/l) min; P=0·003), but not after oat-fibre (PYY 226·7 (sem 25·7) (pmol/l) min; P>0·15; ghrelin 46·2 (sem 1·6) (pmol/l) min; P=0·127), compared to control (PYY 247·5 (sem 25·6) (pmol/l) min; ghrelin 42·5 (sem 1·3) (pmol/l) min). Postprandial hunger scores were unaffected by the different test meals (P>0·15). Thus, oat- and wheat-fibre consumption result in different postprandial responses of PYY and ghrelin, but interestingly do not differ in satiety effects.

(Received March 01 2006)

(Revised May 05 2006)

(Accepted June 07 2006)

Key Words:

• Insoluble cereal fibre;
• Satiety;
• Peptide YY;
• Ghrelin

Correspondence:

^c1 *Corresponding author: Dr Martin O. Weickert, fax +49 33200 88 777, email m.weickert@mail.dife.de