PREVENTION OF COPROPHAGY MODIFIES MAGNESIUM ABSORPTION IN RATS FED WITH FRUCTO-OLIGOSACCHARIDES

We developed a new type of anal cup for prevention of coprophagy and d etermined whether the absorption of Ca and Mg and the stimulatory effe cts of feeding fructo-oligosaccharides (FO) on the absorption of Ca an d Mg were altered by prevention of coprophagy in rats, Rats were fed o n a FO-free diet or a diet containing 50 g FO/kg for 2 weeks with or w ithout prevention of coprophagy, FO-feeding increased the apparent abs orptive ratio of Ca and Mg in rats with or without prevention of copro phagy, However, in the FO-fed groups the absorptive ratio of Mg in rat s with prevention of coprophagy was higher than in rats without preven tion of coprophagy, The Ca content of the femur was higher in rats fed on the FO-diet than in rats fed on the FO-free diet both with and wit hout coprophagy. In conclusion, FO-feeding increased the absorption of Ca and Mg in rats both with and without coprophagy. Moreover, prevent ion of coprophagy enhanced the absorption of Mg in rats fed with FO, C oprophagy has to be considered when the effects of luminal fermentatio n or mineral absorption are examined in rats.