薬理と治療

Abstract

Objectives We investigated the efficacy and dose-dependent effect of highly cross-linked starch（HXLS）from tapioca on defecation. Methods Fifty four healthy female subjects with constipation tendency were recruited for a randomized and placebo-controlled study. After 2-week observation period（Pre-Period）, all subjects received 28 g of placebo biscuits（without HXLS）for 2 weeks（PeriodⅠ）. Following PeriodⅠ, subjects received placebo, low︱dose（3.5 g of dietary fiber from HXLS）, or high-dose（7 g of dietary fiber from HXLS）biscuits for 2 weeks （PeriodⅡ）. During 6-week test period, subjects were requested to record symptoms such as stool frequency, stool volume. Results Compared to Pre-Period, no significant effect was observed in low-dose group, whereas high-dose group showed significantly higher frequency of defecation during PeriodⅡ. Conclusion The investigation revealed that defecation frequency depends on dietary fiber intake and effective amount of dietary fiber from HXLS is 7 g.