New research highlights: Impact of chronic ingestion of white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Beldia) on small-intestinal disaccharidase activity in Wistar rats

The chronic ingestion of raw or undercooked kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple organ dysfunction; the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. The objective of this study was to assess the gavage effects of a raw Beldia bean variety on the brush border disaccharidase activities in the jejunal mucosa of Wistar rats. Twenty young adult male rats were randomly assigned into 2 groups of 10 rats each: Control, rats were gavaged with 300 mg of a rodent pellet flour suspension (RPFS); Experimental, rats were orogastrically fed a dose of 300 mg Beldia bean flour suspension (BBFS). Prior to determining the disaccharidase activity by Dahlqvist method, the blood and stool specimens were collected on day 10. The sera and feces were screened for the presence of lectins by serologic and hemagglutination assays. The results showed that the brush border maltase and sucrase activities were significantly diminished but lactase activity did not undergo any change in BBFS-gavaged animals as compared with control. Preliminary immunobiochemical assays revealed the absence of lectins in the systemic circulation and feces of rats, but further work is required to prove this. Overall, the dietary administration of BBFS caused depression of the activity of the small intestinal enzymes maltase and sucrase.