T. M. Lin

Effect of dietary pectin, ' protopectin' and gum arabic on cholesterol excretion in rats.

The addition of pectin and a protopectin preparation containing galactose and arabinose to a noncholesterol-containing basal diet increased the fecal excretion of saponifiable lipids; the absorptio...

Capacity of the rat intestine to absorb cholesterol.

Summary The existence of a limited capacity for cholesterol absorption in the rat has been demonstrated. At dietary cholesterol levels of from 50 to 288 mg per 250 g rat per day the percentage of cholesterol absorption decreased as a linear function. The amount of cholesterol absorbed reached a plateau when the dietary cholesterol intake was 192 mg per 250 g rat per day. Under the conditions specified, the capacity of the intestinal mechanism for the absorption of cholesterol in a 250 g rat is 90 mg or approximately 360 mg per kilo body weight per day.

Impairment of Triglyceride Absorption by the Exclusion of Pancreatic Juice in the Rat

A fat balance study was conducted on 12 rats with and 12 without exclusion of the pancreatic juice, using tripalmitin, trielaidin, triolein, tallow and corn oil, or fats varying in regard to melting point, saturation, and cis and trans isomerism. Exclusion of pancreatic juice decreased the utilization of these fats. The decrement ranged from 14 to 18% of the intake of the different fats when fed at a level of 8% of the dry weight of the diet. The extent of impairment expressed as millimols could not be correlated with the physical and chemical characteristics of the fats; but if expressed as percentage of fat absorbed, the impairment was related to the melting point of the fat. The fecal elimination of soap was increased significantly by the exclusion of pancreatic juice in the case of corn oil, triolein and tallow; was not significantly increased in the case of trielaidin; and was decreased in the case of tripalmitin, due probably to decreased hydrolysis. Exclusion of pancreatic juice increased the elimination of endogenous total lipid and of soap. Fat utilization was correlated more closely with the melting point of the fats than with their saturation, suggesting that the melting point is concerned in determining utilization more than any other characteristic of the fat.