Dietary Phytic Acid and Wheat Bran Enhance Mucosal Phytase Activity in Rat Small Intestine

The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of dietary phytic acid (PA) on intestinal phytase activity in growing rats by in vitro determination of phytase activity in the three segments of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum), and by in vivo intestinal perfusion of a solution rich in PA (diluted soymilk). Using the in vitro method, duodenal and jejunal activities were enhanced significantly by adaptation to purified PA (+44 and +145% respectively, compared with control rats). For the rats adapted to the wheat bran (WB) diet, the induction of intestinal phytase by the substrate compared with the control values (P < 0.001) was observed only in ileum. Using soymilk in perfusions, rats consuming PA or WB diets hydrolyzed more phytate (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) than controls. Further, Mg absorption from diluted soymilk was not affected by food adaptation, whereas Ca absorption was greater in the PA and WB groups (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) than in the control group. Thus, intake of pure PA by rats enhances phytase in the upper parts of the small intestine (duodenum and jejunum), whereas the WB diet activates ileal phytase. Furthermore, the induction of phytase activity is greater in magnitude in rats fed synthetic PA than that observed in rats fed the WB diet. The enhancement of phytase improves intestinal Ca absorption, thus showing the capacity of the small intestine to adapt to diets rich in PA and poor in Ca.