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
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.