Comparative effects of some carbohydrates on serum sugars, triglycerides and digestive hydrolases

For 3 weeks, rats were fed diets containing 60 p. 100 carbohydrate in the form of starch (wheat flour), purified sucrose, commercial sugar or a commercial sweetener containing a mixture of glucose and fructose. Glycemia was lower during the day than at night, and it was lowest in the starch-fed group. Fructosemia, high in all groups during the day, suggested endogenous production; it was low at night, showing efficient clearance of exogenous fructose. Triglyceridemia was highest in the rats fed purified sucrose and exhibited no light/dark variation in that group. It was higher in all the other groups during the day. Regarding pancreatic hydrolases, starch, rather than sugars, raised pancreatic amylase, while lipase did not correlate with endogenous hyperglyceridemia and was similar in all groups. Commercial preparations significantly lowered chymotrypsinogen contents. These results confirm that sucrose and equimolar mixtures of glucose and fructose are not equivalent (disaccharide effect). The data evidence an endogenous fructose production during the day and suggest that commercial sugar, often used in the preparation of diets, may have different effects than purified sucrose.