DIETARY FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES PREVENT POSTGASTRECTOMY ANEMIA AND OSTEOPENIA IN RATS

Gastrectomized rats develop anemia and osteopenia, and ingestion of fr uctooligosaccharides leads to an increase in iron absorption and promo tes recovery from anemia in iron-deficient rats. Laparotomized (sham-o perated control) rats and totally gastrectomized (Billoth II) rats, in groups of 14 each, were fed a control diet without fructooligosacchar ides or a diet containing fructooligosaccharides (75 g/kg of diet) for 6 wk. All rats received an intramuscular injection of vitamin B-12 ev ery 2 wk. Tail blood was collected every week for determination of hem atocrit and hemoglobin concentration. At the end of the experiment, th e rats were killed and the femur and tibia were collected for measurem ent of bone mineral density (BMD). The hematocrit, hemoglobin concentr ation, hemoglobin regeneration efficiency, and BMD of both femurs and tibias were significantly lower in gastrectomized rats fed the control diet than in the other three groups. Dietary fructooligosaccharides p revented anemia and osteopenia in totally gastrectomized rats.