COMPARISON OF 2 METHODS FOR DETERMINING IN-VITRO INTESTINAL-ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS USING RATS FED DIFFERENT DIETS

Absorption of sucrose, glucose, leucine and aspartate was studied usin g intestinal everted sac of rats fed on french bean diets namely PDR-1 4, HUR-137 and HUR-15 using casein as a control. Absorption of nutrien ts was monitored spectrophotometrically and by C-14 radio assay of met abolites using scientillation counting. The absorption pattern of amin o acids was found to be similar but of glucose and sucrose differed. G lucose was found to be more absorbed than sucrose in spectrophotometer assay and the pattern reversed in radio assay. Absorption of sucrose and leucine were higher by rats fed on HUR-137 diet and similarly, mor e aspartate was absorbed when fed on HUR-15 diet as demonstrated by bo th the methods. Rats fed on HUR-137 diet exhibited higher glucose abso rption as shown by spectrophotometric assay, but rats on HUR-15 diet b y radio assay. Absorption of nutrients differed significantly between casein and french beans.