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Developmental changes to gut microflora metabolism in mice
Author(s) -
BrennanCraddock W.E.,
Mallett A.K.,
Rowland I.R.,
Neale S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1992.tb01704.x
Subject(s) - nitroreductase , nitrate reductase , caecum , weaning , pectin , reductase , biology , enzyme , metabolism , enzyme assay , endocrinology , medicine , biochemistry
W.E. BRENNAN‐CRADDOCK, A.K. MALLETT, I.R. ROWLAND AND S. NEALE. 1992. Developmental changes in the activities of bacterial nitrate reductase, nitroreductase and β‐glucuronidase and their response to fermentable dietary fibre, were investigated in caecal contents from suckling mice (2‐week‐old) and in mice aged 4–24 weeks fed either a purified fibre‐free diet or that diet supplemented with 5% (w/w) pectin. There was no apparent age‐related trend common to the three enzymes studied. Nitrate reductase activity in the mice fed the fibre‐free diet did not markedly alter with age. Pectin administration, however, was associated with a significant increase in nitrate reductase activity, particularly in 4‐week‐old mice. Nitroreductase activity exhibited an overall upward trend in mice from 2 to 12 weeks and thereafter decreased. Caecal β‐glucuronidase activity in mice increased sharply between 2 weeks and 4 weeks of age, thereafter not changing significantly until the 24th week. Pectin feeding had no consistent effect on activities either of nitroreductase or β‐glucuronidase. The changes in enzyme activities with age were not related to the concentration of bacteria in the caecum, which was highest in the 2‐week‐old mice. We conclude that the weaning is a period in which marked changes in caecal bacterial enzyme activities can occur.