Mechanism of inhibitory effect of unavailable carbohydrate on intestinal calcium absorption

The effect of unavailable carbohydrates on the intestinal absorption of calcium was studied in rats raised for 7 or 8 weeks on diets containing 10 or 20% of cellulose, glucomannan, or pullulan. The following results were obtained a) Body weight gain was diminished more severely in glucomannan groups than in cellulose groups. b) Serum calcium levels were slightly lower in all groups fed unavailable carbohydrates, whereas serum inorganic phosphorus levels were similar to that of the control group. c) There was a significant reduction of bone ash from rats fed glucommanan or cellulose with 620 glycoside bonds. d) Calcium transport measured in the everted duodenal sac remarkable decreased in the glucomannan 20% group, but slightly increased in the cellulose groups. e) Calcium binding activity was lowered significantly in all groups fed unavailable carbohydrates. f) Alkaline phosphatase and sucrase activities in the duodenum were also markedly decreased by prolonged intake of unavailable carbohydrates. These results indicate that inhibitory effect of unavailable carbohydrates on intestinal calcium absorption is partially due to the loss of calcium binding protein caused by gastrointestinal transit of large amounts of undigested substances.