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Effects of Different Sources of Fructans on Body Weight, Blood Metabolites and Fecal Bacteria in Normal and Obese non-diabetic and Diabetic Rats

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Abstract

Fructans contribute significantly to dietary fiber with beneficial effects on gastrointestinal physiology in healthy individuals and offer a promising approach to treating some diseases. Two experiments (Experiment 1 = rats with normal weight; Experiment 2 = obese rats) were developed to compare the effects of three fructan sources (Cichorium intybus L. Asteraceae, Helianthus tuberosus L. Asteraceae and Agave angustifolia ssp. tequilana Haw, Agavaceae) on body weight change, blood metabolites and fecal bacteria in non-diabetic (ND) and diabetic (D) rats. In Experiment 1 total body weight gain and daily feed intake in D and ND rats decreased (P < 0.05) with supplements of fructan. Only in D rats, blood glucose concentrations, fecal Clostrodium spp. counts, and liver steatosis decreased, while blood HDL concentrations and fecal Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. counts increased due to fructans. In Experiment 2, total body weight gain and feed intake in ND and D rats were also decreased by fructans. In ND rats, fructan decreased blood glucose concentrations. In D rats, fructans from A. angustifolia ssp. tequilana decreased blood cholesterol and LDL and liver steatosis. For both ND and D rats, fecal Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. counts were higher (P < 0.05) with fructan supplements.

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Abbreviations

D:

Diabetic rats

DP:

Degree of polymerization

ND:

Non-diabetic rats

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by UASLP Funds C08-FAI-04-27.31 and by CONACyT through a master of science scholarship (208836) granted to Juan Antonio Rendón-Huerta. We thank to BNP Qingdao Co (China) for kindly supplying Helianthus tuberosus fructans

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa Multidisciplinario de Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Altair # 200 Fracc. Del Llano, S.L.P. México, CP, 78377, México

    Juan A. Rendón-Huerta

  2. Instituto de Investigación de Zonas Desérticas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Altair # 200 Fracc. Del Llano, S.L.P. México, CP, 78377, México

    Bertha Juárez-Flores, Juan M. Pinos-Rodríguez & J. Rogelio Aguirre-Rivera

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Ave. Manuel Nava No. 201, Zona Universitaria, S.L.P., CP, 78210, México

    Rosa E. Delgado-Portales

Authors
  1. Juan A. Rendón-Huerta
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  2. Bertha Juárez-Flores
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  3. Juan M. Pinos-Rodríguez
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  4. J. Rogelio Aguirre-Rivera
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  5. Rosa E. Delgado-Portales
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Correspondence to Juan M. Pinos-Rodríguez.

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Rendón-Huerta, J.A., Juárez-Flores, B., Pinos-Rodríguez, J.M. et al. Effects of Different Sources of Fructans on Body Weight, Blood Metabolites and Fecal Bacteria in Normal and Obese non-diabetic and Diabetic Rats. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 67, 64–70 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-011-0266-9

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