Digestibility and Suppressive Effect on Rats' Body Fat Accumulation of Cyclic Tetrasaccharide

We examined the digestibility of cyclic tetrasaccharide (CTS; cyclo{→6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→3)-α-D-Glcp-(1→6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→3)-α-D-Glcp-(1→}). CTS was resistant to two types of α-amylase and to artificial gastric juice. Enzymes in the rat small intestinal mucosa slightly hydrolyzed CTS. CTS was not utilized by 22 strains of human intestinal bacteria. CTS was not fermented by rat cecal content. In the single administration to rats, more than 90% of the administered CTS was recovered in the feces. From the above results, CTS was confirmed as an indigestible and unfermentable saccharide. As a result of 4 weeks’ feeding to rats, CTS was effective in the suppression of body fat accumulation and lowering of serum triglyceride of the rats. These effects of CTS depended on the amount of CTS in the diet.