SMALL-INTESTINAL DIGESTION OF PARTIALLY RESISTANT CORNSTARCH IN HEALTHY-SUBJECTS

The aims of this study were to measure the amount of starch from parti ally resistant starches (retrograded and complexed high-amylose cornst arches) escaping small-intestinal digestion in healthy humans by use o f an intubation method and to compare these data with data obtained by indirect in vitro methods. Experiments were carried out in vivo in 6 healthy humans by using ileal intubation and stool analysis and in vit ro by using 3 different methods for analyzing resistant starch. In int ubated subjects, 51 +/- 2% of the retrograded and 21 +/- 2% of the com plexed starch was delivered to the ileum and was fermented almost comp letely in the colon. In vitro estimates of the absorption of resistant starch were much lower. We conclude that technologically modified sta rches may substantially increase the amount of carbohydrate available for colonic fermentation in humans, but that in vitro measurements of resistant starch are inaccurate for predicting malabsorption in health y humans.