Glutinous rice amylopectin can adjust the plasma gut-regulated peptide levels in rhubarb-induced spleen deficiency rats.

The pharmacological effects of glutinous rice (GR) and GR amylopectin (GRA) on the gastrointestine were investigated in rhubarb-induced spleen deficiency rats by determining the levels of gastrointestinal hormones such as the peptides serum gastrin, amylase motilin, and somatostatin. GR and GRA were given by gavage at various doses of GR (7.5, 15, and 30 g per kg body weight) and GRA (3.8, 7.6, and 15 g per kg body weight) every day for 4 weeks, respectively. The results indicated that the final body weight of rats in the highest-dose GR (GRH) group and all the GRA groups significantly (P < 0.05) increased (7.2-12.1%) compared with the model control (MC) group. All the GR and GRA treated groups had significantly (P < 0.05) higher gastrin contents (32.8-51.2%), motilin levels (13.8-39.2%), and amylase contents (22.5-39.4%) and the GRH and highest-dose GRA (GRAH) groups had significantly (P < 0.05) lower somatostatin contents compared with the MC group. Meanwhile, the somatostatin contents were negatively correlated with the motilin levels (r = -0.964, P < 0.01) and amylase contents (r = -0.981, P < 0.01). The GRAH treatment group had the highest final body weight, gastrin contents, motilin levels, and amylase contents and the lowest somatostatin contents, which demonstrated that GRA might play the most important role in the spleen-regulating activities of GR.