Quantitative Assessment of Effective Energy of Resistant Cornstarch Using ¹³CO₂, H₂, and CH₄ Breath Tests

Abstract

We calculated the effective energy of a resistant cornstarch (HB-450) by using ¹³CO₂, H₂, and CH₄ breath tests to assess HB-450 digestion and fermentation in healthy female subjects. On the basis of the areas under the curves (AUCs) for the concentrations of ¹³CO₂ and H₂ following ingestion of 40 g of HB-450, 23.0±6.8 g was digested in the upper digestive tract and 3.6±2.1 g was fermented by intestinal flora. The effective energy of the 40 g dose was thus calculated as 2.5±0.8 kcal/g. These results indicate that ¹³CO₂, H₂, and CH₄ breath tests are useful for measuring the effective energy of resistant cornstarch.