Abstract: The invention is related to a method for producing a steamed, exploded, and fermented dietary fiber, comprising the steps of: subjecting a hemicellulose-containing plant resource to a steam treatment followed by an explosion treatment (2.5 Mpa, 70 seconds); mixing wheat bran into this steamed and exploded material; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently preparing koji with the use of a koji fungus; adding water to the koji thus obtained; mixing the steamed and exploded material into a koji dispersion wherein koji is dispersed into water; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently fermenting the mixture. This method produces a useful material as a food material and a health supplement, by a simple process, with efficiency, and at a low cost.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method for producing a material which contains xylo-oligosaccharides being rich in xylobiose and xylotriose, an antioxidant active substance and a dietary fiber, and which is useful as a food material and a health supplement, by a simple process, with efficiency, and at a low cost. The method comprises the steps of: subjecting a hemicellulose-containing plant resource such as bagasse to a steam treatment followed by an explosion treatment (2.5 Mpa, 70 seconds); mixing wheat bran into this steamed and exploded material; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; subsequently, preparing koji with the use of a koji fungus having a high xylanase activity obtained by conducting single spore isolation from Aspergillus sojae (NFRI1147); adding water to the koji thus obtained; mixing the steamed and exploded material into a koji dispersion wherein koji is dispersed in water; adjusting water content of this mixture to about 50%; and subsequently, fermenting the mixture.