Effect of indigestible polysaccharides on pancreatic exocrine secretion and biliary output.

The present study was designed to determine the effect of purified viscous polysaccharides on pancreatic exocrine secretion and biliary output. Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 5 weeks were fed either on the control diet which contained no fiber or on the experimental diets that contained 5% indigestible polysaccharides (agar, kappa-carrageenan, Na-alginate and konjac mannan). After pretreatment with each diet for 2 weeks, the diet was discontinued overnight, and the animals were then allowed to eat 4 g of the test diet in 1 h. Immediately after this, a polyethylene tube was placed in the common bile duct, under anesthesia. Combined, free drained pancreatic-bile juice was collected for the following 1 h. Long-term (2 weeks) administration of Na-alginate and konjac mannan gave rise to increases in the volume of secreted juice and in the output of total bile acids, amylase and protease, whereas that of agar and kappa-carrageenan had no affect. Since a single dose of Na-alginate and konjac mannan was ineffective as regards pancreatic-bile secretion, the elevated secretion observed over prolonged periods may result from processes of adaptation against highly viscous polysaccharides.