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Hypoglycemia and faecal minerals in rats fed phytate

Lowell L. Dilworth (PhD student, in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica)
Felix O. Omoruyi (Research Fellow, in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica)
Oswald Simon (Head of Department in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica)
Errol Y. Morrison (Pro‐Vice Chanceller and Dean of Graduate Studies Research, in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica)
Helen N. Asemota (Professor/Senior Lecturer in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and the Biotechnology Centre, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica)

Nutrition & Food Science

ISSN: 0034-6659

Article publication date: 1 April 2004

324

Abstract

In this study, phytic acid was extracted from Jamaican sweet potato, which has been reported to contain a high phytic acid to zinc ratio and fed to Wistar rats for three weeks. Animals were then sacrificed and blood glucose, intestinal amylase activity and faecal minerals were determined. Blood glucose levels in all the groups fed phytic acid extract from sweet potato or commercial phytic acid were reduced compared to their controls. This lowering was more pronounced in the groups fed phytic acid extract from sweet potato or commercial phytic acid plus zinc supplement. Faecal zinc was significantly higher in the groups fed phytic acid extract from sweet potato compared to the controls in weeks 1 and 2. Supplementation of the diets with phytic acid extract from sweet potato or commercial phytic acid resulted in an increase in the faecal output of iron except for the group that was fed commercial phytic acid plus zinc. Overall, the supplementation of the rat diet with phytic acid extract from sweet potato resulted in a general increase in the output of these faecal minerals.

Keywords

Citation

Dilworth, L.L., Omoruyi, F.O., Simon, O., Morrison, E.Y. and Asemota, H.N. (2004), "Hypoglycemia and faecal minerals in rats fed phytate", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 60-64. https://doi.org/10.1108/00346650410529014

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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