DIETARY MALTITOL DECREASES THE INCIDENCE OF 1,2-DIMETHYLHYDRAZINE-INDUCED CECUM AND PROXIMAL COLON TUMORS IN RATS

Maltitol is fermented in the colon due to only partial hydrolysis in t he small intestine. In the present study, we examined effects of dieta ry maltitol on dimethylhydrazine-induced intestinal tumor in rats. In experiment 1, rats were fed a fiber-free diet or diets supplemented wi th 1 or 5 g/100 g maltitol for 27 wk. Each group of rats was injected with dimethylhydrazine or vehicle alone for the first 14 wk of the exp erimental period. Maltitol supplementation at 1 g/100 g of the diet si gnificantly reduced tumor incidence in the cecum and the 5% supplement reduced tumor incidence in both the cecum and proximal colon in dimet hylhydrazine-treated rats. In experiment 2, we investigated the effect of the 1 g/100 g maltitol diet on the short chain fatty acid concentr ations in cecal contents of placebo and dimethylhydrazine-treated rats . Intake of the 1 g/100 g maltitol diet doubled (P < 0.05) the concent ration of butyrate but did not affect acetate or propionate in the cec al contents. These results suggest that dietary maltitol has a protect ive effect against dimethylhydrazine-induced tumors in rat cecum and p roximal colon and that butyrate produced by bacterial fermentation of maltitol in the cecum may be involved in the protection.