Method for evaluating utilization of infused oligosaccharides in postsurgical patients

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Nutrition
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Oligosaccharides are explored as carbohydrate energy sources for parenteral nutrition.
• Patient response to infused oligosaccharides is inconsistent, necessitating methods to assess individual utilization.
• Identifying effective utilization is crucial for optimizing parenteral nutrition strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a practical method for assessing oligosaccharide utilization in patients receiving parenteral nutrition.
• To identify patients who effectively utilize infused oligosaccharides.
• To differentiate between patients with good and poor oligosaccharide metabolism.

Main Methods:

• A novel enzymatic method using alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase to hydrolyze urinary oligosaccharides to glucose.
• Measurement of released glucose using a simple test tape method.
• Validation of the enzymatic method against established acid hydrolysis-spectrophotometric assays.

Main Results:

• The enzymatic test tape method demonstrated good agreement with traditional laboratory assays for oligosaccharide excretion.
• The method successfully identified postsurgical patients with poor oligosaccharide utilization in both prospective and retrospective analyses.
• This indicates the test's efficacy in distinguishing patient response to oligosaccharide infusion.

Conclusions:

• A user-friendly, ward-suitable method for assessing oligosaccharide utilization has been established.
• This method enables the identification of patients who benefit from oligosaccharides as a parenteral energy source.
• The findings support the use of oligosaccharides in selected patients based on demonstrated metabolic capacity.