Persorption Of Plant Microparticles After Oral Plant Food Intake

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The phenomenon of persorption - a non resorptive ingestion of microparticles by the intestinal wall of mammals and human beings - is known since 1844. Previous research has been done by means of light microscopy. METHODS: We are the first group, to use a scanning electron microscope for particle detection. We compared starch particles by means of polarization light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: According to recent studies we can confirm the electron microscopic existence of starch granules in human blood after oral plant food intake. The results of electron microscopic and polarization light microscopic analysis correlate significantly. Particle number can be compared with former light microscopy. Due to the improved resolution in the electron microscope, we expected a higher detection of small starch particles, which however could not be confirmed. We also studied the persorption of non-starch polysacharides or remnants of plant material as a part of dietary fibre. We were not able to find any non-starch polysacharide particles in human blood with our investigation method, as might be suspected via the mechanism of persorption. CONCLUSION: Scanning electron microscopy is not able to detect more persorbed particles than polarization light microscopy. Despite our expectations we could not detect smaller starch particles in human blood compared to those seen in polarization light microscopy.