Model experiments mimicking the human intestinal transit and metabolism of D-galacturonic acid and amidated pectin.

In order to study the human intestinal transit and metabolism of D-galacturonic acid and amidated pectin a number of model experiments were carried out. Both substrates were incubated under aerobic conditions at 37 degrees C using saliva (2 min) and simulated gastric juice (4 h). Under anaerobic conditions the substrates were incubated at 37 degrees C using human ileostomy and colostomy fluids, each obtained from three different donors, for 10 and for 24 h, respectively. D-Galacturonic acid, SCFA (acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid), as well as methanol were analyzed photometrically after carbazole reaction, GC-flame ionization detection (GC-FID), and headspace solid-phase microextraction GC/MS (HS-SPME-GC/MS), respectively. D-Galacturonic acid and amidated pectin were found to be stable during incubations with saliva and simulated gastric juice, whereas both substrates underwent degradation in the course of human ileostomy and colostomy fluid incubations. D-Galacturonic acid was practically completely decomposed within 10 h and SCFA, with acetic acid as the major representative, were formed up to 98% of the incubated substrate in colostomy effluent. The amidated pectin was only degraded in part, revealing stable amounts of 22-35% and 3-17% in ileostomy (after 10 h) and colostomy fluid (after 24 h), respectively. SCFA were generated up to 59% of the applied amidated pectin. In parallel, 19-60% and 52-67% of the available methyl ester groups were cleaved in the course of incubations with ileostomy and colostomy fluids, respectively. The results demonstrate for the first time that D-galacturonic acid and amidated pectin are stable in human saliva and simulated gastric juice. The degradation of both compounds during incubation with ileostomy effluent is highlighted, providing evidence for a considerable metabolic potential of the small intestine.