This study was conducted in order to establish an in vitro method simulating the physiological function of fibers along the large intestine of humans. Commercial fibers including guar gum, apple pectin, citrus pectin, CM-cellulose, alginic acid and $alpha$-cellulose, and dietary fiber residues obtained from rice bran, barley, soybean, Korea cabbage, apple, tangerine and sea mustard were employed to determine the water-holding capacity, weight of hydrated residue and fiber content after anaerobic fermentation using human fecal inoculum for 24 hours, followed by dialysis under osmotic suction pressure. The weight of hydrated residue in commercial fibers was in the decreasing order of CM-cellulose > alginic acid, $alpha$-cellulose > apple pectin, citrus pectin > guar gum and that in food fiber residues was in the decreasing order of rice bran, sea mustard > soybean > tangerine, Korean cabbage > barley > apple. It was demonstrated that the larger the weight of hydrated residue was, the more the weight of human stool increased. Consequently this in vitro method can be used as a preceeding test before undertaking animal or human experiment to predict the physiological effects of fiber residues from diverse food samples as well as commercially refined fibers.