A simple spectrophotometric method for quantitative fecal carbohydrate measurement

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Chemistry
• Pediatric Gastroenterology

Background:

• Accurate measurement of fecal carbohydrate (CHO) excretion is crucial for diagnosing and managing malabsorption disorders.
• Existing methods may be complex or lack sensitivity for quantitative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, quantitative spectrophotometric assay for total fecal carbohydrate excretion.
• To assess the utility of this assay in pediatric patients with suspected or confirmed CHO malabsorption.

Main Methods:

• Development of a spectrophotometric method using Dreywood's anthrone reagent for fecal CHO quantification.
• Validation using known CHO solutions and recovery studies with Polycose added to stool.
• Analysis of fecal CHO excretion in normal pediatric subjects and patients with malabsorption.

Main Results:

• The assay demonstrated high accuracy (>90% recovery of known CHO) and precision (inter-assay CV 6.2%).
• Results were stable over 21 months with frozen stool specimens.
• Normal pediatric fecal CHO excretion ranged from 0.04 to 0.85 g/day (average 0.33 g).
• Patients with CHO malabsorption exhibited significantly increased fecal CHO excretion, up to 53% of intake.

Conclusions:

• The developed assay is a reliable and simple method for measuring total fecal carbohydrate excretion.
• This quantitative assay facilitates the assessment of malabsorption severity and informs dietary management strategies in children.
• The method provides valuable insights into carbohydrate metabolism and absorption in pediatric populations.