Metabolism of maltitol by conventional rats and mice and germ-free mice, and comparative digestibility between maltitol and sorbitol in germ-free mice.

The metabolism of maltitol (4-alpha-D-glucosylsorbitol) was assessed in fasting conventional (C) rats, C mice and germ-free (GF) mice, using [U-14C]maltitol. The radiorespirometric patterns of 14CO2 collected for 48 h after the administration of labelled maltitol were characterized by a constant rate of 14CO2 production lasting 4 h for both C rats and mice. The pattern for the GF mice showed a peak at the second hour followed immediately by a slow decrease. The percentage recovery of 14CO2 was significantly lower for the GF mice (59%) compared with C animals (72-74%). Urine, faeces and intestinal contents after 48 h totalled 19% of the administered radioactivity in the C rats and mice and 39% in the GF mice. The digestibility of maltitol and the absorption of sorbitol in GF mice was also assessed. The caecum and small intestine of GF mice, 3 h after administration of equimolar quantities of maltitol (140 mg/kg body-weight) or sorbitol (70 mg/kg body-weight), contained 39 and 51% of the ingested dose respectively, present mostly in the caecum as sorbitol. The alpha-glucosidase (maltase) (EC3.2.1.20) activity of the small intestine was appreciably higher (1.5-1.7 times) in the GF mice than in the C mice. These results suggest that the enzymic activities in the small intestine of mice and rats are sufficient to hydrolyse maltitol extensively. Consequently, the slow absorption of sorbitol seems to be an important factor limiting the overall assimilation of maltitol in the small intestine.