absence of rhamnose in human urine following the ingestion of gum karaya (Sterculia)

Urinary rhamnose estimations following ingestion of gum karaya were requested by the Scientific Committee for Food (EEC) in July 1983. Five male volunteers have therefore made 24-h urine collections prior to, and following, the ingestion of 10 g gum karaya for 15 days, an intake ten-fold greater tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFood additives and contaminants Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 33 - 36
Main Authors Anderson, A.W.J, Brydon, W.J, Eastwood, M.A, McDougall, F.J, Anderson, D.M.W
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 1985
Subjects
Adult
Chromatography, Paper
gums
Humans
Karaya Gum - metabolism
Male
metabolism
Middle Aged
Polysaccharides - metabolism
rhamnose
Rhamnose - urine
Sterculia urens
urine
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Summary:Urinary rhamnose estimations following ingestion of gum karaya were requested by the Scientific Committee for Food (EEC) in July 1983. Five male volunteers have therefore made 24-h urine collections prior to, and following, the ingestion of 10 g gum karaya for 15 days, an intake ten-fold greater than that approved in terms of the present temporary ADI (0-12 X 5 mg/kg b.w.). Paper chromatographic separations, with two solvent systems, were made on the fresh urine specimens and also after ten-fold enrichments of all urinary constituents. Standard aqueous solutions of rhamnose, and urine to which rhamnose had been added, showed the detection limit to be 0.2 microgram rhamnose. Independent examinations in two laboratories failed to detect rhamnose at this level in any of the urine specimens, Had 1% of the rhamnose present in 10 g gum karaya appeared in the 24-h urine specimens, it would have been detected. This confirms previous evidence that dietary gum karaya is neither digested nor degraded by enteric bacteria and is not absorbed to any significant extent in Man.
ISSN:0265-203X
1464-5122
DOI:10.1080/02652038509373524