This study was performed to investigate the influence of dietary fiber from the whole food on the composition of intestinal microflora in rats.
The fiber sources of experimental diets were prepared by drying and milling of small water dropwort(WD), m...
This study was performed to investigate the influence of dietary fiber from the whole food on the composition of intestinal microflora in rats.
The fiber sources of experimental diets were prepared by drying and milling of small water dropwort(WD), mugwort(MW), butterbur(BB) and apple(AP). Each fiber sources was mixed at the 15% level of the diet. The level of dietary fiber in WD, MW, BB diets was simillar but that in AP diet was slightly low. Male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain were blocked into 5 groups: WD, MW, BB, AP, FF(fiber free), The animal was fed ad libitum each of experimental diets for 37 days. Total viable counts and the numbers of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroidaceae, Eubacterium, Peptococcaceae, Streptococcus, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, E. coli were determined by nonselective and various selective media.
Food intake of AP and FF groups were lower than the other groups, FF group was lower than the other groups in flood efficiency ratio. Total viable counts were the highest in FF group. The number of Bacteroides, Eubacterium were higher in AP group compared with other groups and that of streptococcus was lower in MW, BB, AP groups than others. The number of Lactobacillus was higher in WD, MW, BB groups than the other groups and that of Bifidobacterium was higher in BB, AP groups. A decrease in the intestinal population of Clostridium was shown in MW, BB groups. These findings suggests that the samll water dorpwort, mugwort butterbur are effective in improving intestinal flora of rats.