Bioavailability of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in rats fed probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic powder follow‐up infant formulas and their effect on physiological and nutritional parameters

Abstract

The effect of infant formulas supplemented with functional ingredients on calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) bioavailability was investigated in rats. Seven follow-up infant formulas containing probiotics (Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum), prebiotics (galactooligosaccharides at 12, 50 and 100 g kg −1 ) or synbiotics (bifidobacteria and galactooligosacccharides) were administered to weanling rats for 30 days. A 3 day mineral balance was performed over three periods (8-10, 18-20 and 28-30 days) to monitor mineral apparent absorption and retention ratios and physiological and nutritional parameters. Feeding rats on infant formula-based diets showed high feed efficiency (≥0.46). It was found that infant formulas supplemented with probiotics and/or prebiotics for 30 days increased Ca, Mg and P bioavailability in rats. Mineral apparent absorption and retention ratios were higher than 90% for Ca and P and 80% for Mg during the first balance period regardless of the infant formula used, but they decreased during the next two balance periods. Although it was not possible to select one infant formula as the best to improve mineral absorption, the 100 g kg −1 prebiotic and 50 and 100 g kg −1 synbiotic infant formulas were the most efficient at increasing Ca, Mg and P bioavailability compared with the control group.

Acute and Chronic Effects of Honey and Its Carbohydrate Constituents on Calcium Absorption in Rats

“…Previous studies noted that younger animals showed higher mineral bioavailability than older rats. A study conducted by Pérez-Conesa et al (28) observed a significant decrease in calcium and magnesium absorption in rats during an 18 day time lapse between the first and third mineral balance periods. Similarly, Coudray et al (6) also reported that the effect of inulin in enhancing intestinal absorption of calcium and magnesium is significantly affected by the age of the rats.…”

Protective Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CCFM8610 against Acute Cadmium Toxicity in Mice

“…In other words, there is a competitive relationship between the absorption of cadmium and that of divalent essential elements (4,37,38). Interestingly, it is reported that living lactobacilli and bifidobacteria such as L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, B. bifidum, and Bifidobacterium longum can improve the absorption and bioavailability of several essential elements like Ca, Mg, and Fe in both humans and animals (39)(40)(41)(42). Therefore, although yet to be confirmed, it can be speculated that living CCFM8610 may have the capacity to increase the absorption of divalent essential elements and thus decrease the intestinal absorption of cadmium.…”

Dialysability of Magnesium and Calcium from Hospital Duplicate Meals: Influence Exerted by Other Elements

“…Like other divalent cations the entry of Mg from the intestinal lumen occurs by two mechanisms: a saturable facilitated mechanism (intracellular pathway) operating at low intraluminal concentrations and a paracellular pathway throughout the whole length of the small bowel when intraluminal concentrations are high [3][4][5][6][7][8].…”