The absorption and distribution of radiolabeled erythritol were studie
d in Wistar rats and beagle dogs after a single oral administration in
doses ranging from 0.125 to 2.0 g erythritol/kg body wt. Erythritol c
oncentrations in blood and plasma of rats reached their maxima 1 hr af
ter administration and then declined biexponentially, In the blood and
plasma of dogs, the highest concentrations occurred after 1/2 hr foll
owed by a similar decline. Blood plasma distribution ratios and plasma
protein binding ratios increased as blood plasma levels declined. At
120 hr after administration, 95.68 +/- 2.25% of the radioactivity had
been excreted in the urine of dogs and 92.70 +/- 0.44% in the urine of
rats; 0.33 +/- 0.05% had been excreted in the feces of dogs and 1.19
+/- 0.09% in the feces of rats; 1.17 +/- 0.04% had been excreted in ex
pired air from dogs and 4.80 +/- 0.32% in expired air from rats. The r
esults demonstrate that erythritol is rapidly absorbed and excreted, p
rincipally through the urinary pathway. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.