Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1983 Jan;45(1):116–121. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.1.116-121.1983

Interaction between pectin and rat hindgut microflora.

A K Mallett, I R Rowland, A Wise
PMCID: PMC242240  PMID: 6681695

Abstract

The contents of the lower alimentary tract from rats fed a semisynthetic, pectin-supplemented diet showed increased nitrate reductase activity and an increase in the amount of luminal contents in the intestine and cecum. Nitrate reductase activity was associated with the insoluble fraction of the gut contents which was sedimented by centrifugation (5,100 X g,20 min) and was abolished after treating the animals with streptomycin, neomycin, and bacitracin for 7 days. The pectin-dependent increase in cecal size and microbial nitrate reduction were reversed when animals were transferred from a pectin-supplemented onto a control semisynthetic diet. Polygalacturonic acid (pectic acid) was without effect on either cecal size or cecal microbial nitrate reductase activity. The studies demonstrate that pectin influences microbial metabolism in the alimentary tract.

Full text

PDF
116

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bauer H. G., Asp N. G., Oste R., Dahlqvist A., Fredlund P. E. Effect of dietary fiber on the induction of colorectal tumors and fecal beta-glucuronidase activity in the rat. Cancer Res. 1979 Sep;39(9):3752–3756. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Goldman P. Biochemical pharmacology of the intestinal flora. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 1978;18:523–539. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pa.18.040178.002515. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gomez R. F., Tannenbaum S. R., Savoca J., Ralt D., Rockowitz N. Heterotrophic nitrification by intestinal microorganisms. Cancer. 1980 Mar 15;45(5 Suppl):1066–1067. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19800315)45:5+<1066::aid-cncr2820451306>3.0.co;2-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hasan S. M., Hall J. B. The physiological function of nitrate reduction in Clostridium perfringens. J Gen Microbiol. 1975 Mar;87(1):120–128. doi: 10.1099/00221287-87-1-120. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Lin J. K., Lai C. C. Effects of lactobacillus, antacids and antibiotics on the levels of nitrite in the gastro-intestinal tracts of rats fed sodium nitrate. Food Chem Toxicol. 1982 Apr;20(2):197–204. doi: 10.1016/s0278-6915(82)80248-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. London J. F., Clapp N. K., Henke M. A. Effects of dietary bran and the colon carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine on faecal beta-glucuronidase activity in mice. Food Cosmet Toxicol. 1981 Dec;19(6):707–711. doi: 10.1016/0015-6264(81)90524-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Rexová-Benková L., Markovic O. Pectic enzymes. Adv Carbohydr Chem Biochem. 1976;33:323–385. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2318(08)60285-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ross J. K., Leklem J. E. The effect of dietary citrus pectin on the excretion of human fecal neutral and acid steroids and the activity of 7alpha-dehydroxylase and beta-glucuronidase. Am J Clin Nutr. 1981 Oct;34(10):2068–2077. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/34.10.2068. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Rowland I. The influence of the gut microflora on food toxicity. Proc Nutr Soc. 1981 Jan;40(1):67–74. doi: 10.1079/pns19810011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Scheline R. R. Metabolism of foreign compounds by gastrointestinal microorganisms. Pharmacol Rev. 1973 Dec;25(4):451–523. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Smith C. J., Bryant M. P. Introduction to metabolic activities of intestinal bacteria. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 Jan;32(1):149–157. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/32.1.149. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Turek B., Hlavsová D., Tucek J., Waldman J., Cerná J. The fate of nitrates and nitrites in the organism. IARC Sci Publ. 1980;(31):625–632. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Weisburger J. H. Chemical carcinogens and their mode of action in colonic neoplasia. Dis Colon Rectum. 1973 Nov-Dec;16(6):431–437. doi: 10.1007/BF02588865. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Williams R. T. Toxicologic implications of biotransformation by intestinal microflora. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1972 Dec;23(4):769–781. doi: 10.1016/0041-008x(72)90118-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wise A., Mallett A. K., Rowland I. R. Dietary fibre, bacterial metabolism and toxicity of nitrate in the rat. Xenobiotica. 1982 Feb;12(2):111–118. doi: 10.3109/00498258209046784. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES