The screening method of a bifidogenic dietary fiber extracted from inedible parts of vegetables.
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Total dietary fiber (DF) was extracted from the inedible parts of vegetables such as peel of taro and Chinese yam, pea pod, broad bean pod, and broad bean testa. Effects of these fibers on the growth of bifidobacteria were determined by two kinds of experiments: one was to determine the increase of Bifidobacterium longum JCM1217 (B. longum) in medium containing DF, the other was an in vitro fermentation of the DF by anaerobic slurries of mixed human fecal or rat cecal microbiota. Anaerobic culture was carried out for 48 h in both experiments. In the pure culture of B. longum, the significant increase of bacterial number was observed as compared with 0 h in the medium containing the DF from peel of Chinese yam, pea pod and broad bean pod (p<0.05). On the other hand, bacterial number was decreased in the medium containing the DF from the peel of taro and broad bean testa. We selected the DF from pea pod because of its highest bifidogenic property in human fecal microbiota. In the fermentation of DF from pea pod by rat cecal microbiota, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were increased. Bacteroidaceae and clostridia were decreased. These results suggested that DF from pea pod had possibility as a prebiotic. The bifidogenic property was affected by the sugar composition of DF. (+info)
Lack of effect of lactose digestion status on baseline fecal micoflora.
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BACKGROUND: The genetics of intestinal lactase divide the world's population into two phenotypes: the ability (a dominant trait) or inability (a recessive trait) to digest lactose. A prebiotic effect of lactose may impact the colonic flora of these phenotypes differently. OBJECTIVE: To detect and evaluate the effects of lactose on subjects divided according to their ability to digest lactose. METHODS: A total of 57 healthy maldigesters (n=30) and digesters (n=27) completed diet questionnaires, genetic and breath hydrogen testing, and quantitative stool analysis for species of bacteria. Log10 transformation of bacterial counts was compared with lactose intake in both groups using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: There was a significant relationship between genetic and breath hydrogen tests. Daily lactose intake was marginally lower in lactose maldigesters (median [interquartile range] 12.2 g [31 g] versus 15 g [29.6 g], respectively). There was no relationship between lactose intake and breath hydrogen tests in either group. There were no differences in bacterial counts between the two groups, nor was there a relationship between bacterial counts and lactose intake in either group. CONCLUSION: The differential bacterial effects of lactose were not quantitatively detected in stool samples taken in the present study. (+info)
Uremic toxins originating from colonic microbial metabolism.
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