Fate of erythritol after single oral administration to rats and dogs

The absorption and distribution of radiolabeled erythritol were studied in Wistar rats and beagle dogs after a single oral administration in doses ranging from 0.125 to 2.0 g erythritol/kg body wt. Erythritol concentrations in blood and plasma of rats reached their maxima 1 hr after administration and then declined biexponentially, In the blood and plasma of dogs, the highest concentrations occurred after 1/2 hr followed by a similar decline. Blood plasma distribution ratios and plasma protein binding ratios increased as blood plasma levels declined. At 120 hr after administration, 95.68 +/- 2.25% of the radioactivity had been excreted in the urine of dogs and 92.70 +/- 0.44% in the urine of rats; 0.33 +/- 0.05% had been excreted in the feces of dogs and 1.19 +/- 0.09% in the feces of rats; 1.17 +/- 0.04% had been excreted in expired air from dogs and 4.80 +/- 0.32% in expired air from rats. The results demonstrate that erythritol is rapidly absorbed and excreted, principally through the urinary pathway. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.