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Tannic Acid and Oxidized Tannic Acid on the Functional State of Rat Intestinal Epithelium

Groupe de Recherches sur la Toxicologie des Aliments et des Boissons, INSERM- U.87, Institut de Physiologie, 2 Rue François Magendie 31400, Toulouse, France

Diets containing tannic acid at the level of 3% of dry matter were fed to rats in order to ascertain the origin of fecal nitrogen and the effect of tannic acid on the intestinal mucosa. At the same time in order to explain the effect of oxidation of tannins, we administered diets containing oxidized tannic acid or tannic acid associated with an antioxidizer (sodium sulfite) at the level of 1% of dry matter. The increased excretion of sialic acid and glucosamine during ingestion of tannic acid indicated that the excess of fecal nitrogen mainly corresponds to the mucus hypersecretion observed by histology. Fecal analysis revealed perturbations in movements of water and ions. The study of the metabolic activity of isolated enterocytes and the activity of some enzymes in a homogenate of these cells showed an inhibition of oxygen consumption and succinic dehydrogenase activity. Addition of reducing agent (sodium sulfite) to the diet had little effect on the action of tannic acid; but previous oxidation of the tannin reduced the effects observed, particularly in the case of fecal nitrogen loss.

KEY WORDS: • tannic acid • oxidized tannic acid • enterocytes metabolism • mucous secretion

Manuscript received 14 February 1977.