Rats were fed for 2 weeks on five different high-fat diets containing cellulose (control) or chitosan with and without organic acids (i.e., ascorbic, lactic and citric acids) as the dietary fiber. The apparent fat digestibility in the chitosan-receiving groups was significantly lower than in the control group. The addition of ascorbic acid to chitosan caused a larger increase in the fecal fat excretion than otherwise, without considerably affecting the apparent protein digestibility.

The effect is thought to have occurred because chitosan was so well dissolved and mixed with fat by the action of ascorbic acid that it encapsulated fine fat droplets on its gel after contacting the pancreatic juice in the small intestine. The intake of a mixture of chitosan and ascorbic acid is suitable for reducing fat.

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