title: Dietary galactooligosaccharides increase calcium absorption in normal and gastrectomized rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the galactooligosaccharide stimulates calcium absorption in partially gastrectomized rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were submitted to laparotomy (sham-operated control) and partial gastrectomy (Billroth II) in groups of 20. They were fed a control diet (AIN-93M) without galacto-oligosaccharide or a diet containing (galacto-oligosaccharide - 50 g/kg diet) for eight weeks. The animals were divided into four groups: sham-operated and non-gastrectomized with galactooligosaccharide, sham-operated and gastrectomized without galactooligosaccharide. On the final day of the study, whole blood was collected for determination of serum calcium concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group with galactooligosaccharides calcium excretion in feces was significantly lower than the group without prebiotics. The apparent absorption of calcium in gastrectomized and normal rats was higher in groups fed with galactooligosaccharide than in the control diet group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ingestion of galactooligosaccharides prevents osteopenia in partially gastrectomized rats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Enzymology and Experimental Carcinogenesis, Campinas State University, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil. elisvania@gmail.com
authors.forename: Elisvânia Freitas
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Kathia Hitomi
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Marina Rachel
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Nelson Adami
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Andreollo
authors.forename: Celio Kenji
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D005743:Gastrectomy; D008297:Male; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D002118:Calcium