The oligosaccharide α-cyclodextrin has modest effects to slow gastric emptying and modify the glycaemic response to sucrose in healthy older adults

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 106; no. 4; pp. 583 - 587
• Main Authors: Gentilcore, Diana, Vanis, Lora, Teng, Jasmine C., Wishart, Judith M., Buckley, Jonathan D., Rayner, Christopher K., Horowitz, Michael, Jones, Karen L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 28.08.2011; CABI Pub
• Subjects: administration & dosage; adverse effects; Aged; alpha-cyclodextrin; alpha-Cyclodextrins; alpha-Cyclodextrins - administration & dosage; alpha-Cyclodextrins - adverse effects; alpha-Cyclodextrins - metabolism; analysis; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - analysis; blood serum; chemically induced; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - chemically induced; Dietary Sucrose; Dietary Sucrose - metabolism; Dietary Supplements; Dietary Supplements - adverse effects; Double-Blind Method; elderly; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastric Emptying; glucose; glycemic effect; Human and Clinical Nutrition; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hyperglycemia - prevention & control; hyperinsulinemia; Hypoglycemic Agents; Hypoglycemic Agents - administration & dosage; Hypoglycemic Agents - adverse effects; Hypoglycemic Agents - metabolism; ingestion; insulin; Insulin - blood; Intestinal Absorption; Kinetics; Male; males; metabolism; Patient Dropouts; prevention & control; stomach; sucrose; Technetium; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; young adults; Gastric emptying; Cyclodextrin; Glycaemia; Elderly; Human; Stomach; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Sucrose; Digestive system; Oligosaccharide; Adult
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511000444

In healthy older subjects, the glycaemic response to carbohydrate-containing meals is dependent on gastric emptying and intestinal absorption; when the latter is slowed, the magnitude of the rise in glucose is attenuated. The oligosaccharide α-cyclodextrin has been reported to diminish the glycaemic response to starch in young adults; this effect has been attributed to the inhibition of pancreatic amylase. We examined the effects of α-cyclodextrin on gastric emptying of, and the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to, oral sucrose in healthy older subjects; as sucrose is hydrolysed by intestinal disaccharides, any effect(s) of α-cyclodextrin would not be attributable to amylase inhibition. A total of ten subjects (seven males and three females, age 68–76 years) were studied on 2 d. Gastric emptying, blood glucose and serum insulin were measured after ingestion of a 300 ml drink containing 100 g sucrose, labelled with 99mTc-sulphur colloid, with or without 10 g α-cyclodextrin. Gastric emptying was slowed slightly by α-cyclodextrin; this effect was evident between 135 and 195 min and was associated with a slight increase (P < 0·05) in distal stomach retention. After α-cyclodextrin, blood glucose was slightly less (P < 0·05) at 60 min, and serum insulin was less (P < 0·0005) at 90 and 120 min. There was no difference in the incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) for blood glucose, but there was a trend for the iAUC for serum insulin to be lower (P = 0·09) after α-cyclodextrin. We conclude that in a dose of 10 g, α-cyclodextrin has modest effects to slow gastric emptying of, and modify the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to, oral sucrose, probably due to delayed intestinal carbohydrate absorption.