A true dietary slowly digestible starch is not yet available, thus its long‐term effect on food intake has yet to be elucidated.AimExamine the long‐term effect of a dietary slowly digestible starch material on food intake in vivo.MethodsAlginate‐entrapped starch microspheres with different slow digesting rates were incorporated into rodent diets. Diet‐induced obese Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to 5 test groups and fed for 8 wks: 1) 14% low‐fat diet; 2) 45% high‐fat (HF) diet; 3) 45% HF with rapidly digestible starch; 4) 45% HF with slowly digestible microspheres; and 5) 45% HF with more slowly digestible microspheres. Meal patterns were monitored using BioDAQ.ResultsA slowly digestible microsphere group had lower daily food intake compared with the 45% HF rapidly digestible starch group (P < 0.05) and similar food intake as the low fat group. Overall meal size was lower in slow digesting microspheres group and meal frequency decreased over time (P < 0.05). mRNA levels of orexigenic NPY and AgRP lowered in microspheres group to a similar level as low‐fat group.ConclusionChronic dietary slow release glucose reduces daily caloric food intake by changing meal size and meal frequency.

Ileal infusion of carbohydrates has been shown to inhibit gastric emptying. However, such effect via dietary delivery of glucose has not been demonstrated. Aim Examine the effect of materials with varying degrees of slow glucose release on gastric emptying and glucose/insulin levels. Methods Alginate-entrapped starch microspheres (M) with different slow digesting rates were fabricated. Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to 5 test groups: 1) blank control (n=7); 2) Polycose (n=5); 3) slow digesting M (n=8); 4) slower digesting M (n=8); and 5) slowest digesting M (n=8). Animals were fasted 24 hr prior to oral gavaging of respective test material. Blood insulin, glucose, and starch content from the segments of the GI tract were measured. Results Glucose response profiles to the 3 slowly digesting microspheres showed an incrementally lower and more sustained glucose release compared with Polycose. Insulin response showed a similar trend. Among the microsphere groups, the amount of starch retained in the stomach increased (P<0.05) between slow and slowest digesting microspheres 2 hr after gavaging, and all microsphere treatments were higher than Polycose that showed no remaining stomach starch. Conclusion Gastric emptying is positively correlated to dietary glucose delivery to the small intestine in a dose response fashion and conceivably could be a practical dietary approach to controlling gastric emptying. Grant Funding Source: USDA