Apple juice enhances ascorbic acid absorption and accumulation in ODS rats

摘要

Ascorbic acid (AsA) is an essential nutrient for humans, but its accumulation in the body is often problematic. Although it has been reported that the ingestion of apples increases AsA in the body, the details remain unknown. If true, it would decrease AsA deficiency in humans. Here, we investigated the effects of apple juice intake on the absorption and accumulation of AsA in the body of osteogenic disorder Shionogi (ODS) rats, a mutant strain of Wistar rats. These model animals that lack AsA biosynthetic capacity were fed a mixture of an AsA solution and apple juice. We examined the AsA concentration in plasma, urine, and the mucosa of the small intestine. We observed that apple juice intake increased the amount of AsA in rats. This mechanism seems to be related to absorption from the small intestine. This study may contribute to research on enhancing AsA absorption efficiency.