Reviewer's report 
 The addition of locust bean gum but not water delayed the gastric emptying rate of a nutrient Title: 
semisolid meal in healthy subjects 
Authors: 
Dr Gassan Darwiche ( gassandarwiche@yahoo.com )
Ola Bjorgell ( ola.bjorgell@rontgen.mas.lu.se )
Lars-Olof Almer ( Lars-Olof.Almer@medforsk.mas.lu.se )
 2  2 Apr 2003 Version: Date: 
 Trygve Hausken Reviewer: 
 A paper whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have Advice on publication: 
responded to the compulsory revisions 
b) Compulsory revisions 
The study is well conducted. On page 9 in Discussion the authors state that the influence of Locust 
been gum on gastric emptying of semisolids has not been studied. However, in an old study (Scand J Gastroenterol 1985 Apr;20(3):330-4) the effect of guar gum on gastric emptying of a semisolid meal has been studied. In this study guar gum caused an accumulation of the meal within the 
proximal stomach. The authors have caluculated gastric emptying by maesuring the antral area. It 
could be that the proximal stomach is important in this context. It needs to be commented. 
Minor comments: 
The manuscript has to be shortened. The Abstract and Discussion are to long. There is duplication 
of paragraphs in Introdcution (page 5) and Discussion (page 11 and 12). 
The authors have included a large number of references. For this small study they need to half the 
number of references. 
The company which produces the basic test meal has to be included. 
Statistical analysis (page 8). The values has to be presented as median and quartiles. 
Competing interests: 
None declared. 
Reviewer's report 
 The addition of locust bean gum but not water delayed the gastric emptying rate of a nutrient Title: 
semisolid meal in healthy subjects 
Authors: 
Dr Gassan Darwiche ( gassandarwiche@yahoo.com )
Ola Bjorgell ( ola.bjorgell@rontgen.mas.lu.se )
Lars-Olof Almer ( Lars-Olof.Almer@medforsk.mas.lu.se )
 2  2 Apr 2003 Version: Date: 
 Trygve Hausken Reviewer: 
 A paper whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have Advice on publication: 
responded to the compulsory revisions 
b) Compulsory revisions 
The study is well conducted. On page 9 in Discussion the authors state that the influence of Locust 
been gum on gastric emptying of semisolids has not been studied. However, in an old study (Scand J Gastroenterol 1985 Apr;20(3):330-4) the effect of guar gum on gastric emptying of a semisolid meal has been studied. In this study guar gum caused an accumulation of the meal within the 
proximal stomach. The authors have caluculated gastric emptying by maesuring the antral area. It 
could be that the proximal stomach is important in this context. It needs to be commented. 
Minor comments: 
The manuscript has to be shortened. The Abstract and Discussion are to long. There is duplication 
of paragraphs in Introdcution (page 5) and Discussion (page 11 and 12). 
The authors have included a large number of references. For this small study they need to half the 
number of references. 
The company which produces the basic test meal has to be included. 
Statistical analysis (page 8). The values has to be presented as median and quartiles. 
Competing interests: 
None declared. 
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report 
 The addition of locust bean gum but not water delayed the gastric emptying rate of a nutrient Title: 
semisolid meal in healthy subjects 
Authors: 
Dr Gassan Darwiche ( gassandarwiche@yahoo.com )
Ola Bjorgell ( ola.bjorgell@rontgen.mas.lu.se )
Lars-Olof Almer ( Lars-Olof.Almer@medforsk.mas.lu.se )
 2  2 Apr 2003 Version: Date: 
 Trygve Hausken Reviewer: 
 A paper whose findings are important to those with closely related research Level of interest: 
interests 
 Unable to decide on acceptance or rejection until the authors have Advice on publication: 
responded to the compulsory revisions 
b) Compulsory revisions 
The study is well conducted. On page 9 in Discussion the authors state that the influence of Locust 
been gum on gastric emptying of semisolids has not been studied. However, in an old study (Scand J Gastroenterol 1985 Apr;20(3):330-4) the effect of guar gum on gastric emptying of a semisolid meal has been studied. In this study guar gum caused an accumulation of the meal within the 
proximal stomach. The authors have caluculated gastric emptying by maesuring the antral area. It 
could be that the proximal stomach is important in this context. It needs to be commented. 
Minor comments: 
The manuscript has to be shortened. The Abstract and Discussion are to long. There is duplication 
of paragraphs in Introdcution (page 5) and Discussion (page 11 and 12). 
The authors have included a large number of references. For this small study they need to half the 
number of references. 
The company which produces the basic test meal has to be included. 
Statistical analysis (page 8). The values has to be presented as median and quartiles. 
Competing interests: 
None declared. 
assistant