Effect of L-lactic acid on the absorption of calcium in gastrectomized rats.

The effect of dietary L-lactic acid (LA), (0.5, 1.0, or 2.5 g/100 g of diet) on the absorption of calcium in gastrectomized rats was evaluated for 28 d. Calcium phosphate was used as a source of calcium. The apparent calcium absorption ratio and the calcium contents of the femur and tibia in gastrectomized rats fed the control diet were significantly less than those in sham-operated rats. In the gastrectomized rats, the apparent calcium absorption ratio and the calcium contents of bone in the rats fed the lower doses of LA diets (LA 0.5 or 1.0 g/100 g of diet) were not affected; however, the apparent calcium absorption ratio and the calcium contents of bone in the rats fed the highest doses of LA diet (LA 2.5 g/100 g of diet) were greater than those in gastrectomized rats fed the control diet. Dietary LA (2.5 g/100 g of diet) also enhanced the phosphorus absorption and bone phosphorus content in the gastrectomized rats. We speculated that the highest dose of dietary LA might be associated with the dissolving of a water-insoluble form of calcium salt in the diet, thereby facilitating the calcium absorption and resulting in increased bone calcium content in gastrectomized rats.

The effect of calcium gluconate and other calcium supplements as a dietary calcium source on magnesium absorption in rats.

The effects of commercially available calcium supplements (calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, oyster shell preparation and bovine bone preparation) and gluconic acid on the absorption of calcium and magnesium were evaluated for 30 days in male Wistar rats. There were no differences in the apparent absorption ratio of calcium among rats fed each calcium supplement; however, the rats fed the calcium gluconate diet had a higher apparent absorption ratio of magnesium than the rats fed the other calcium supplements. Dietary gluconic acid also more markedly stimulated magnesium absorption than the calcium carbonate diet, and the bone (femur and tibia) magnesium contents of rats fed the gluconic acid diet were significantly higher than those of the rats fed the calcium carbonate diet. Furthermore, the weight of cecal tissue and the concentrations of acetic acid and butyric acid in cecal digesta of rats fed the calcium gluconate diet or the gluconic acid diet were significantly increased. We speculate that the stimulation of magnesium absorption in rats fed the calcium gluconate diet is a result of the gluconic acid component and the effect of gluconic acid on magnesium absorption probably results from cecal hypertrophy, magnesium solubility in the large intestine and the effects of volatile fatty acids on magnesium absorption.

Effects of calcium gluconate on the utilization of magnesium and the nephrocalcinosis in rats fed excess dietary phosphorus and calcium.

The effects of calcium gluconate on the utilization of magnesium and nephrocalcinosis in male Wistar rats made magnesium-deficient by adding excess dietary phosphorus (1.195 g of phosphorus/100 g of diet) and calcium (1.04 g of calcium/100 g of diet) were compared with the effects of calcium carbonate. The effects of dietary magnesium concentration on the magnesium status and nephrocalcinosis were also examined. Adding excess dietary phosphorus and calcium decreased the apparent magnesium absorption ratios and the concentrations of magnesium in the serum and femur and increased the deposition of calcium in the kidney, and the low magnesium condition (0.024 g of magnesium/100 g of diet) aggravated the deposition of calcium and the low magnesium status. The apparent magnesium absorption ratios and femur magnesium concentration in the rats fed a calcium gluconate diet (an equimolar mixture of calcium gluconate and calcium carbonate was used as a source of calcium) were significantly higher than in the rats fed a calcium carbonate diet (only calcium carbonate was used as a source of calcium), irrespective of dietary magnesium concentration. Dietary calcium gluconate lessened the accumulation of calcium in the kidney and increased the serum magnesium concentration compared with dietary calcium carbonate, when the rats were fed the normal magnesium diet (0.049 g of magnesium/100 g of diet) but not the low magnesium diet. We speculate that the increased utilization of magnesium by feeding the calcium gluconate diet to a limited extent prevented the low magnesium status and the severity of nephrocalcinosis caused by adding excess dietary phosphorus and calcium.