The Soluble Fiber α-Cyclodextrin Does Not Increase the Fecal Losses of Dietary Fat in Adults—A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial

α-Cyclodextrin (α-CD), a soluble dietary fiber, may improve abnormal plasma lipids and promote weight loss. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may exert these effects by binding dietary fat and reducing absorption; this has not been tested in humans. The primary objective was to test whether supplemental α-CD increases fecal content of dietary lipid in humans. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study completed at the Mayo Clinic. Eight healthy volunteers, 5 premenopausal women and 3 men ages 23–54 y with body mass index (BMI; kg/m²) 18–27, underwent 2 separate study visits with a ≥2-wk washout period. The first morning of each visit volunteers consumed a standardized breakfast (14.5% protein, 27.5% fat, 60% carbohydrate, and 1.5 kcal/mL) containing [¹⁴C]tripalmitin and [³H]triolein with 2 g of α-CD or placebo, followed by 2 g of α-CD or placebo per meal for 2 more days. Volunteers consumed 100 g/d of dietary fat. Feces were collected for 72 h after the labeled breakfast to measure radiotracer content and total fecal fat. Radiotracer appearance in plasma TGs was measured at intervals after the labeled meal as a secondary outcome. Virtually no ³H radiotracer, but an average of ∼20% of the ¹⁴C radiotracer was recovered in fecal lipids, with no difference between α-CD and placebo. Total fecal fat content and radiotracer appearance in postprandial plasma TGs did not differ between the α-CD and placebo treatments. Plasma appearance of ¹⁴C-TG was 37% ± 14% less (P < 0.0001) than ³H-TG. α-CD supplementation did not increase loss of dietary lipid in stool or total fecal fat compared with placebo in healthy adults. Greater stool loss and lesser appearance in plasma TGs of tripalmitin-derived [¹⁴C] compared with triolein-derived [³H] TGs imply different metabolic handling of these 2 dietary fat tracers. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03002168.