The Sweet Life: Diet Sugar Concentration Influences Paracellular Glucose Absorption

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 18 Jun 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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Small birds and bats face strong selection pressure to digest food rapidly in order to reduce mass carried during flight.

One mechanism that may supplement active glucose uptake is absorption of glucose via the paracellular pathway (transfer between epithelial cells, not mediated by transporter proteins).

Glucose absorption was measured in two nectar - feeding birds, the Australian New Holland honeyeater and the African whitebellied sunbird.

The relative contribution of paracellular glucose absorption in these birds increased with diet sugar concentration, similar to recent findings in North American hummingbirds, likely the result of slower passage of digesta through the intestine.

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

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