Effect of Erythritol on Plasma and Liver Cholesterol Levels in Rats

Recently, the microbial production method for erythritol, one kind of sugar alcohol, was developed. This compound is about 80% as sweet as sucrose, but, as it does not metabolized in the human body, it was reported that this could employ as low calory sweetner and it would be possible to employ as sweetner for patients of diabetes and other metabolic disease. In this study, the hypocholesterolemic effect of erythritol were examined. Two large dietary groups, with or without cholesterol, were setted and each was divided into three subgroups containing 0, 5 and 10% erythritol, respectively. Another group containing 10% sorbitol, hexose alcohol, without cholesterol was also setted. These diets were fed ad libitum to male S. D. rats for 4 weeks. The caecum weight of rats fed erythritol showed the difference significantly as compared with this weight of sorbitol group, this would be due to the better absorption of erythritol through the small intestine. However, the feeding of erythritol did not increase cholesterol levels of plasma and liver even in the case of cholesterol supplemented diet.11KJ00004311041論文Articledepartmental bulletin pape