PREVENTION OF COPROPHAGY DOES NOT ALTER THE HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EFFECTS OF OAT BRAN IN THE RAT

Citation
Ka. Jackson et Dl. Topping, PREVENTION OF COPROPHAGY DOES NOT ALTER THE HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EFFECTS OF OAT BRAN IN THE RAT, British Journal of Nutrition, 70(1), 1993, pp. 211-219
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Nutrition & Dietetics
ISSN journal
00071145
Volume
70
Issue
1
Year of publication
1993
Pages
211 - 219
Database
ISI
SICI code
0007-1145(1993)70:1<211:POCDNA>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
Male rats were fed on either a non-purified rodent diet (JS) or choles terol-free purified diets containing wheat bran (WB) or oat bran (OB). Some animals were allowed normal access to their faeces for coprophag y (coprophagy+), while in others coprophagy was prevented by placement of a plastic cup over the anus (coprophagy-). Direct ingestion of fae ces from the anus was observed in the former groups. Food intake was u naffected by diet or coprophagy status and body weight gain was unchan ged with OB -and JS -- but was significantly lower with WB -. Plasma c holesterol was highest with WB and equally lower with OB and JS and wa s unaffected by coprophagy status. Plasma triacylglycerols were highes t with OB and were unaffected by coprophagy status. Caecal digesta mas s was highest with JS, intermediate with OB and lowest with WB. Digest a mass was unaffected by coprophagy status with WB and JS but was high er with OB -. Digesta moisture content was lowest with WB + but highes t with WB -. Digesta volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were sim ilarly lower with OB + and OB -, but were significantly lower with JS- and WB- than in the corresponding coprophagy+ group. In all groups di gesta butyrate concentrations were reduced by coprophagy prevention. P ools of total VFA, acetate and butyrate in the digesta were highest wi th JS. Pools of total VFA in digesta were highest with JS +, OB + and OB - and lowest with WB + and WB -. The propionate pool was highest wi th OB , intermediate with OB +, and equally low in all other groups. T he pool of butyrate was highest with JS + and lowest with OB-. Effects of oats and wheat on plasma cholesterol in the rat do not seem to be mediated through faecal re-ingestion.