A commercial

starch blocker

was used to study the digestin of starch (potato) in mature female rates for four weeks. Two levels of

starch blocker

were used. The first level was calculated to inhibit starch digestion at 50%, the second was calculated to inhibit starch digestion at 100%. No significant effects on the body weights (271.10±29, 277.7±43, 259.1±25 g) were found among the groups of rats at 0%, 50% and 100% inhibition levels, respectively. Feed intakes were not affected. However, fecal copper and zinc excretions increased significantly (
p<0.05) due to the inhibitors. Fecal copper excretions were 0.468±0.14, 0.578±0.09, 0.617±0.07 mg/rat/week, while fecal zinc values were 0.625±0.14, 0.859±0.32 and 0.778±0.26 mg/rat/week when no inhibitor was fed, at 50% inhibition and at 100% inhibition respectively. Thus, while use of

starch blockers

did not promote weight loss in the mature female rats, utilization of copper and zinc were negatively affected.
Key words Copper - lead - zinc - starch blockers - a-amylase inhibitors
Published as Nebraska Agricultural Research Division Project Journal Series No. 8791. Supported by funds from the Nebraska Agricultural Division Project No. 91-031 and U.S.D.A. C.S.R.S. Project No. W-143.