Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1988 Dec;29(12):1666–1671. doi: 10.1136/gut.29.12.1666

Assimilation of lactitol, an 'unabsorbed' disaccharide in the normal human colon.

G K Grimble 1, D H Patil 1, D B Silk 1
PMCID: PMC1434111  PMID: 3220306

Abstract

The fate of orally ingested lactitol, a non-absorbed sugar, was measured in six healthy human subjects by following the three routes of disposal of universally 14C-labelled sugar. Lactitol was given as a 20 g daily dose to six healthy volunteers for 14 days and on the seventh day, 10 muCi of L-[U-14C]-lactitol was given with the unlabelled sugar and excretion of the 14C in breath, urine and faeces was followed. The peak of 14CO2 excretion occurred at six hours and total 14CO2 accounted for 62.9 (5.0)% of isotope given, whilst 6.5 (3.6)% and 2.0 (0.3)% of the label were recovered from faeces and urine respectively. These data suggest that lactitol is extensively metabolised in the human colon and that a significant proportion of the bacterial metabolites are available for colonic absorption. Calculation revealed that 54.5% of the theoretical energy content of this compound was utilised by the subjects. It is suggested that this sugar, and other soluble 'non-absorbed' sugars (lactulose, sorbitol, mannitol), may undergo a similar pattern of colonic metabolism and can be considered as reduced calorie compounds.

Full text

PDF
1666

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson I. H., Levine A. S., Levitt M. D. Incomplete absorption of the carbohydrate in all-purpose wheat flour. N Engl J Med. 1981 Apr 9;304(15):891–892. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198104093041507. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bond J. H., Jr, Levitt M. D. Fate of soluble carbohydrate in the colon of rats and man. J Clin Invest. 1976 May;57(5):1158–1164. doi: 10.1172/JCI108383. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bown R. L., Gibson J. A., Sladen G. E., Hicks B., Dawson A. M. Effects of lactulose and other laxatives on ileal and colonic pH as measured by a radiotelemetry device. Gut. 1974 Dec;15(12):999–1004. doi: 10.1136/gut.15.12.999. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cummings J. H. Cellulose and the human gut. Gut. 1984 Aug;25(8):805–810. doi: 10.1136/gut.25.8.805. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Douglas R., Kellaway L., Mintz M., van Wageningen G. The crossed nigrostriatal projection decussates in the ventral tegmental decussation. Brain Res. 1987 Aug 18;418(1):111–121. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(87)90967-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Figdor S. K., Bianchine J. R. Caloric utilization and disposition of [14C]polydextrose in man. J Agric Food Chem. 1983 Mar-Apr;31(2):389–393. doi: 10.1021/jf00116a051. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. James W. P., Garlick P. J., Sender P. M., Waterlow J. C. Studies of amino acid and protein metabolism in normal man with L-[U-14C]tyrosine. Clin Sci Mol Med. 1976 Jun;50(6):525–532. doi: 10.1042/cs0500525. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kelleher J., Walters M. P., Srinivasan T. R., Hart G., Findlay J. M., Losowsky M. S. Degradation of cellulose within the gastrointestinal tract in man. Gut. 1984 Aug;25(8):811–815. doi: 10.1136/gut.25.8.811. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Levitt M. D., Levitt D. G. Use of inert gases to study the interaction of blood flow and diffusion during passive absorption from the gastrointestinal tract of the rat. J Clin Invest. 1973 Aug;52(8):1852–1862. doi: 10.1172/JCI107368. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Long C. L., Geiger J. W., Kinney J. M. Absorption of glucose from the colon and rectum. Metabolism. 1967 May;16(5):413–418. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(67)90132-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Marty J. F., Vernay M. Y., Abravanel G. M. Acetate absorption and metabolism in the rabbit hindgut. Gut. 1985 Jun;26(6):562–569. doi: 10.1136/gut.26.6.562. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McNeil N. I., Cummings J. H., James W. P. Short chain fatty acid absorption by the human large intestine. Gut. 1978 Sep;19(9):819–822. doi: 10.1136/gut.19.9.819. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McNeil N. I. The contribution of the large intestine to energy supplies in man. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984 Feb;39(2):338–342. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/39.2.338. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Miller T. L., Wolin M. J. Fermentations by saccharolytic intestinal bacteria. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 Jan;32(1):164–172. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/32.1.164. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Parker D. S. The measurement of production rates of volatile fatty acids in the caecum of the conscious rabbit. Br J Nutr. 1976 Jul;36(1):61–70. doi: 10.1079/bjn19760058. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Patil D. H., Grimble G. K., Silk D. B. Lactitol, a new hydrogenated lactose derivative: intestinal absorption and laxative threshold in normal human subjects. Br J Nutr. 1987 Mar;57(2):195–199. doi: 10.1079/bjn19870025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Patil D. H., Westaby D., Mahida Y. R., Palmer K. R., Rees R., Clark M. L., Dawson A. M., Silk D. B. Comparative modes of action of lactitol and lactulose in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Gut. 1987 Mar;28(3):255–259. doi: 10.1136/gut.28.3.255. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Saunders D. R., Wiggins H. S. Conservation of mannitol, lactulose, and raffinose by the human colon. Am J Physiol. 1981 Nov;241(5):G397–G402. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.1981.241.5.G397. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Stephen A. M., Haddad A. C., Phillips S. F. Passage of carbohydrate into the colon. Direct measurements in humans. Gastroenterology. 1983 Sep;85(3):589–595. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Van Es A. J., De Groot L., Vogt J. E. Energy balances of eight volunteers fed on diets supplemented with either lactitol or saccharose. Br J Nutr. 1986 Nov;56(3):545–554. doi: 10.1079/bjn19860135. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wiggins H. S. Nutritional value of sugars and related compounds undigested in the small gut. Proc Nutr Soc. 1984 Jan;43(1):69–75. doi: 10.1079/pns19840029. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. van Velthuijsen J. A. Food additives derived from lactose: lactitol and lactitol palmitate. J Agric Food Chem. 1979 Jul-Aug;27(4):680–686. doi: 10.1021/jf60224a040. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES