NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS WHICH CONTAIN NON-DIGESTIBLE POLYSACCHARIDES AND USE THEREOF TO REDUCE TRANSPORT THROUGH TIGHT JUNCTIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to the use of one or more non-digestible polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of dextrans having a molecular weight of 8 kD to 40,000 kD, hydrolysed (gluco)mannans having a molecular weight of 0.5 kD to 1,000 kD and hydrolysed (galacto) mannans having a molecular weigth of 0.5 kD to 1,000 kD for the preparation of a nutritional composition to reduce the uptake of high molecular weight substances, allergens and microorganisms through the intestinal wall, more particularly to reduce transport of high molecular weight substances, allergens and microorganisms through the tight junctions in the intestines, the rise in the viscosity of the nutritional composition caused by the polysaccharides being less than 20 mPa.s. The nutritional compositions can be used to prevent or to treat allergy, allergic reactions, sepsis and inflammatory processes, such as can arise under emotional and physical stress, ischaemia, reperfusion damage during and after operations, after radiation treatment and/or chemotherapy of cancer patients and in the case of inflammatory diseases of the intestine, diarrhoea and allergies.