Background: This study aims to determine the effect of replacing glucose in oral rehydration solution (ORS) with starch hydrolysates from rice on absorption in the small intestine and levels of glucose in portal venous blood and on disaccharidase levels and morphometric measurements in intestines of rats.
Methods: ORS containing standard composition of salts and 2% glucose (WHO ORS) or 2%, 5%, or 10% starch hydrolysates were infused into duodena of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats (250-350 g). Portal venous blood glucose levels were determined at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes.
Results: Significantly larger areas under the curve of glucose absorption (AUCs) were produced by ORS containing 10% unfractionated starch hydrolysates (123.2 +/- 3.8), 2%, 5%, and 10% starch hydrolysates with long-chain ( > 9 molecules) glucose polymers (109.5 +/- 10.6, 109.3 +/- 7.4, and 115.3 +/- 7.1, respectively), and 5% and 10% starch hydrolysates with short-chain (2-9 molecules) glucose polymers (124.4 +/- 6.1 and 128.1 +/- 6.8). ORS with 2% and 5% unfractionated starch hydrolysates and 2% short-chain glucose polymers produced AUCs comparable with those of WHO ORS (96.48 +/- 5.7). Disaccharidase levels and morphometric measurements were not significantly different.
Conclusions: Starch hydrolysates from rice containing glucose polymers can be used in ORS in higher concentrations than glucose to provide higher caloric density without increased osmolality.