Subchronic effects of guar gum in rats

Abstract Male and female Osborne-Mendel rats, approximately 4 wk old, were fed guar gum for 91 days at levels of 0, 1·0, 2·0, 4·0, 7·5 or 15·0% in the diet. Body weights, organ weights, haematology, clinical chemistry and histology were the criteria studied. Guar gum significantly reduced body weights in females of all the treated groups and in males on the 7·5 and 15% dietary levels. Utilization of the gum was poor and, at the 15% level, there was some reduction in bone-marrow cellularity. Serum-glucose values and kidney weights were the only other parameters showing dose-related effects.