Effect of Alginic Acid on Fecal Excretion of Sodium in Humans

Abstract

The effects of alginic acid on fecal excretion of sodium in humans were studied. The concentration of fecally excreted Na appear to increase in proportion to the concentration of fecally excreted alginic acid, and the rate of Na excretion relative to the excretion of alginic acid was constant. However, the concentrations of fecally excreted minerals, K, Ca and Mg, were not related to that of fecally excreted alginic acid. The proportions of three types of blocks, homopolymeric blocks of mannuronic acid (M blocks) and of guluronic acid (G blocks), and heteropolymeric blocks of each sequence (MG blocks) in the alginic acid were transformed. These results indicated that the proportion of M and MG blocks decreased in comparison with the amount of alginic acid fed. Three kinds of intestinal bacteria were isolated from the human feces. They degraded alginic acid almost completely in vitro, although this result was not consistent with that observed in vivo.