Rice gruel and rice starch reduce sorbitol-induced diarrhoea in cecectomized rats

Sorbitol (S), a widely used sugar substitute in sugar-free products, has shown intolerance manifested by abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea in children and adults. The nutritional and S-induced diarrhoea-preventive effect of rice gruel (RG) and rice starch (RS) was studied in cecectomized rats.

During the 41-day experimental period, control, RG or RS, S, and S+RG or RS-containing diets were provided in four consecutive phases. The diet compositions were changed depending on the conditions of the diarrhoea. Faecal appearances of S- and S+RG/RS-fed groups were observed daily and scored (diarrhoea = 2, mixed fae ces = 1, normal faeces = 0) to evaluate the degree of diarrhoea.

The diarrhoeal scores were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in all phases of the RG- or RS-fed group compared to the control group (S). Serum lipid and colonic organic acid concentrations were decreased while faecal bile acids and neutral sterol concentrations were increased in the RG-fed group compared to the control which were measured in the samples collected from the last phase of the experiment.

These results indicate that RG and RS may be useful additives in S-containing food products to prevent the possible risk of diarrhoea in humans.