Effects of stevioside, a natural sweetener, on intestinal glucose absorption in hamsters

Abstract

Effects of stevioside, a natural sweetener, on intestinal glucose absorption were examined in hamsters. Oral administration by gavage of a high dose of stevioside at 2.5 g/kg BW/day for 12 weeks caused inhibition of glucose absorption, but lower doses of 0.5 and 1 g/kg BW/day had no effect. Reductions in the activity of intestinal Na +−K +-ATPase and absorptive surface area were responsible for the inhibition of glucose absorption by stevioside. In addition, stevioside at a dose of 2.5 g/kg BW/day for 12 weeks also caused a reduction in body weight and an increase in sucrase activity of the jejunum. These results suggest that inhibition of glucose absorption by stevioside in hamsters is due to the inhibition of intestinal mucosal Na +−K +-ATPase and an alteration of the morphology of the intestinal absorptive cells which would lead to reductions in body weight of hamsters.