Objective To observe the effect of enteral nutrition (EN) with compound dietary fiber (DFC) on the barrier function of intestinal mucosa in rats with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods Ninety-six SD rats, male and female, were randomly divided into three groups of 32 rats each after being made into an IBD model by acetic acid enema. The control group (group C) was given enteral nutrition without DFC, and the experimental groups T1 and T2 were given enteral nutrition with different ratios of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), respectively. Plasma D-lactate concentration and plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) activity were measured on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 after EN and intestinal mucosal changes were observed by taking intestinal specimens. Results Plasma D-lactate concentration and DAO activity decreased in groups T1 and T2 compared with group C (P<0.05), and there was no statistical difference between groups T1 and T2. Colon injury scores decreased in groups T1 and T2 compared with group C (P<0.05), and the decrease in scores in group T2 compared with group T1 was greater (P<0.05). Conclusion EN in IBD rats with nutrients containing DFC can reduce intestinal permeability and have a protective effect on the intestinal mucosal barrier, and different ratios of SDF:IDF have different protective effects on intestinal mucosa, and increasing the ratio of IDF in appropriate amounts can increase this protective effect.