Proabsorptive effect of gum arabic in isotonic solutions orally administered to rats: effect on zinc and other solutes

We have previously shown that the addition of gum arabic (GA) to oral rehydration solution (ORS) enhances water and electrolyte absorption during jejunal perfusion in rats under anesthesia. This study investigates whether GA by oral administration could be equally effective in rats. Isotonic solutions containing 25 g/L GA (AG), or without GA (A0) were administered via oral tube to lightly anesthetized adult female rats. Similar experiments were conducted with hypertonic solutions containing no GA (B0), or either 10 (B10) or 50 g/L GA (B50). Blood concentrations of sodium, glucose, glutamate, zinc, and tritiated water were determined at 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 minutes, and results between treatments were compared. Administration of the isotonic, GA-containing solution (AG) resulted in a higher blood zinc level than with the isotonic GA-free solution (A0) from 15 minutes throughout 180 minutes. Blood zinc at 15 minutes (means ± SEM) was as follows: for A0: 69.3 ± 2.0, for AG: 83.4 ± 3.5 nmol/L, P= 0.002. At 180 minutes, A0: 52.6 ± 1.8; AG: 68.1 ± 4.6 nmol/L, P= 0.004. The corresponding areas under the curve (AUC) were as follows: for A0: 10,737 ± 214; for AG: 13,919 ± 765 nmol × min/L, P< 0.001). Glucose, glutamate, sodium, and tritiated water body distribution presented no differences in blood concentrations. For sodium and tritiated water body distribution, there was a significant time effect (P< 0.0001). In hypertonic solutions, blood zinc levels declined over time, possibly due to their osmotic, counter-absorptive action, thus obscuring possible opposite effects of GA. GA appears to be an effective enhancer of zinc absorption when orally administered in isotonic solutions to laboratory animals. This proabsorptive capacity could be attributed to some of the physicochemical and biochemical properties of GA and suggest possible applications of GA in liquid formulas and solid food preparations.