Rezensionenr'Book Reviews dure for a group of components which has to be considered as a complex of various polymers, in contrast to most other, clearly definable and determinable food nutrients.
Evaluation methods for dietary fibre try to imitate human hydrolysation and digestion pathways by application of solvents and enzymes and the separation of remaining solids. The residue is measured gravimetrically in most cases and indicates the amount of indigestible matters. The main disadvantage of this-type methods is the lack of absolute concentration data. As a consequence all procedures must be standardized and checked for reproducibility both within and between laboratories. Modem methods try to improve the results by differentiating between total, soluble and insoluble dietary fibre, lignin and resistant starch.
Methods developed by the author as well as by other research groups are described in detail, discussed and critically analysed. Moreover, chemistry and analytical strategies are under discussion. The character of a practical analytical handbook may help to solve open questions still remaining in the field of a complex nutrient composition which is recognized more and more as an important and unavoidable part of modem nutrition.
M. ROTHE