Digestion of Foods Consumed in Africa

Assessment of Gastric Emptying and Fullness of Different Types of Foods in Mali

As populations become urbanized in Africa, the change to a more Westernized diet has been associated with rise in obesity and related metabolic syndrome diseases. The current study shows that in the West African Sahel, these replacement starchy staple foods have fast gastric emptying compared to traditional sorghum and millet foods; and implies that the latter could be beneficial in lowering glycemic response, providing energy from a meal over a longer time, and providing a satiety effect. Knowledge of this attribute of sorghum and millet foods could be useful to improve their image in West African cities to increase their consumption and to improve markets for local smallholder farmers.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity and Other Hyperalimentation
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Rice; Other: Potato; Other: Pasta; Other: Sorghum thick porridge; Other: Millet thick porridge; Other: Millet couscous; Other: Millet thin porridge; Other: Millet thin monikuru porridge

Detailed Description

As suggested by anecdotal evidence that traditional Malian sorghum and millet foods are filling and provide sustained energy, we hypothesized that gastric emptying rates of sorghum and millet foods are slow, particularly compared to non-traditional starchy foods (white rice, potato, wheat pasta) that are now commonly consumed in urban areas of the West African Sahel. A broader purpose for the study was to understand whether sorghum and millet foods have positive health attributes that can be promoted in urban areas to provide better markets for local farmers.

Two human trials of similar design were conducted approximately one year apart. The carbon 13 (13C)-labelled octanoic acid breath test method was used to measure gastric emptying rate, and subjective pre-test and satiety response questionnaires were used. In the first study, 14 healthy volunteers in Bamako, Mali participated in a crossover design to test eight starchy foods for gastric emptying rate and satiety feelings. The second study with six volunteers was done to correct for endogenous 13C differences in the starch component of the foods.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Normal body mass index (18 kg/m2 ≤ BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under any medication
• History of any gastrointestinal disease or surgery
• Diabetes
• Smoker

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

8

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Rice; Cooked white rice and tomato-based sauce	Other: Rice; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response.
Experimental: Potato; Cooked white peeled potato and tomato-based sauce	Other: Potato; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response .
Experimental: Pasta; Cooked macaroni product and tomato-based sauce	Other: Pasta; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response.
Experimental: Sorghum thick porridge; Sorghum thick porridge and tomato-based sauce	Other: Sorghum thick porridge; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response.
Experimental: Millet thick porridge; Millet thick porridge and tomato-based sauce	Other: Millet thick porridge; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response.
Experimental: Millet couscous; Cooked millet couscous and tomato-based sauce	Other: Millet couscous; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response.
Experimental: Millet thin porridge	Other: Millet thin porridge; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response.
Experimental: Millet thin monikuru porridge; Millet thin porridge containing cooked millet granules (monikuru)	Other: Millet thin monikuru porridge; Different modern and traditional starch-based foods found in Bamako, Mali were tested for differences in gastric emptying rate and appetitive response.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gastric emptying	Breath test was performed using 13C-octanoic acid mixed into test meals	acute study, 4 hours after consumption of test food

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Appetitive response	Fullness and hunger questionnaire was given at various time points after consumption of test foods	acute study, 4 hours after consumption of test food

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Purdue University
• Collaborators: Baylor College of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Choi MG, Camilleri M, Burton DD, Zinsmeister AR, Forstrom LA, Nair KS. [13C]octanoic acid breath test for gastric emptying of solids: accuracy, reproducibility, and comparison with scintigraphy. Gastroenterology. 1997 Apr;112(4):1155-62. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5085(97)70126-4.
• Ghoos YF, Maes BD, Geypens BJ, Mys G, Hiele MI, Rutgeerts PJ, Vantrappen G. Measurement of gastric emptying rate of solids by means of a carbon-labeled octanoic acid breath test. Gastroenterology. 1993 Jun;104(6):1640-7. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(93)90640-x.
• Clegg ME, Shafat A. Procedures in the 13C octanoic acid breath test for measurement of gastric emptying: analysis using Bland-Altman methods. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2010 Aug;45(7-8):852-61. doi: 10.3109/00365521.2010.483740.
• Schoeller DA, Klein PD, Watkins JB, Heim T, MacLean WC Jr. 13C abundances of nutrients and the effect of variations in 13C isotopic abundances of test meals formulated for 13CO2 breath tests. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 Nov;33(11):2375-85. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.11.2375.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 1, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 29, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): January 2, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): January 2, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 29, 2016
• Last Verified: December 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Hyperphagia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1104010761

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Not shared