Author(s)

Mônica de Souza Lima Sant’Anna^1*, Vivian Carolina Rodrigues², Tatiane Ferreira Araújo³, Tânia Toledo de Oliveira⁴, Maria do Carmo Gouveia Pelúzio⁵, Célia Lúcia de Luces Fortes Ferreira²

¹Nutrition Course. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Campus Macaé, Macaé, Brazil.
²Department of Food Technology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
³Nutrition Course, Pitagoras College, Ipatinga, Brazil.
⁴Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
⁵Departament of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.

This study investigated the use of a product based on yacon (PBY) in microbiological, physical-chemical and intestinal characteristics of Wistar rats artificially constipated with Loperamide®. Thirty-two rats were divided into four groups: Control (C), Constipated Control (CC), PBY (not constipated) and Constipated PBY (PBYC). The dosage of 0.14 g of FOS+ inulin/kg was tested. Microbiota, pH and faeces characteristics of faeces and caecal contents were evaluated. Caecal weight, morphometry of caecal villi and the concentration of short-chain fatty acids were determined. Higher caecal weight was identified in the PBYC animals as well as higher width, height and depth of cripts. The PBY group showed the highest (p < 0.05) concentration of butyrate (93.2 ± 65.5 mmol/L). The supplementation with PBY positively altered the intestine epithelial tissue in constipated animals, keeping the integrity of the caecum crypts.

Prebiotic, Yacon, Single Chain Fatty Acid, Constipation

Sant’Anna, M. , Rodrigues, V. , Araújo, T. , Oliveira, T. , Pelúzio, M. and Ferreira, C. (2018) Yacon Product (PBY) Modulates Intestinal Constipation and Protects the Integrity of Crypts in Wistar Rats. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 9, 1391-1407. doi: 10.4236/fns.2018.912101.