ABSTRACT
Experiments were carried out in vitro with three viscous polysaccharides (guar gum, pectin, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) of similar initial viscosity submitted to conditions that mimic events occurring in the stomach and duodenum, and their viscosity in these situations was compared to their actions on postprandial hyperglycemia in normal human subjects. Guar gum showed greater viscosity than the other gums during acidification and/or alkalinization and also showed larger effects on plasma glucose levels (35 per cent reduction in maximum rise in plasma glucose) and on the total area under the curve of plasma glucose (control: 20,314 + 1007 mg dl(-1) 180 min (-1) vs guar gum: 18,277 + 699 mg dl(-1) 180 min (-1), P<0.01). Pectin, which showed a marked reduction in viscosity at 37 degrees Celsius and after events mimicking those that occur in the stomach and duodenum, did not have a significant effect on postprandial hyperglycemia. The performance of viscosity and the glycemia response to CMC were at an intermediate level between guar gum and pectin. In conclusion, these data suggest that temperature, the process of acidification, alkalinization and exposure to intestinal ions induce different viscosity changes in gums having similar initial viscosity, establishing a direct relationship between a minor decrease of gum viscosity in vitro and a reduction of postprandial hyperglycemia.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Antidiarrheals/pharmacology , Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium/chemistry , Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium/pharmacology , Cathartics/pharmacology , Galactans/chemistry , Galactans/pharmacology , Hyperglycemia , Pectins/chemistry , Pectins/pharmacology , Polysaccharides/chemistry , Polysaccharides/pharmacology , Postprandial Period/drug effects , Viscosity , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Intestines/chemistry , Potassium Chloride , Random Allocation , Sodium Bicarbonate , Sodium Chloride , TemperatureABSTRACT
Information available in literature is contradictory regarding the glycaemic and cholesterolaemic activities of various legume proteins. Present work deals with the study of the effect of 'Guar' feeding on serum total lipids, free and esterified cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids. Normal and alloxan induced diabetic guinea pigs were kept on the whole seed diet of 'Guar' for four weeks. Blood sugar and total lipid levels were found to be decreased significantly in normal and as well as diabetic animals; free and esterified cholesterol levels were also observed to be lowered significantly in normals, whereas esterified fraction alone was found to be lowered in diabetics. Significant fall in the levels of other lipids i.e., triglycerides, phospholipids and total lipids was also noticed.