Table 2. Body weight, gut organ growth and stomach pH of 17 d-old rats after gavage feeding with microbial-derived enzymes, i.e., a protease, amylase, lipase, and a mixture thereof, or water (control) during 14–16 days of age.

	Body	Stomach	Stomach	SI	Proximal SI	Distal SI	Cecum	Liver
	weight	weight	pH	length	weight	weight	weight	weight
Treatment	g	mg/g b.wt		cm/g b.wt	mg/g b.wt	mg/g b.wt	mg/g b.wt	mg/g b.wt
Control	33.4 ± 1.1	6.8 ± 0.6	4.3 ± 0.2	1.4 ± 0.1	17.0 ± 2.3	14.5 ± 0.6	2.6 ± 0.5	33.5 ± 3.7
Protease	32.2 ± 1.2	7.2 ± 0.7	3.5 ± 0.3*	1.7 ± 0.1***	24.7 ± 3.5***	17.8 ± 2.5**	4.0 ± 0.5***	35.8 ± 2.5
Amylase	35.5 ± 1.8	6.8 ± 0.4	4.0 ± 0.2	1.5 ± 0.0	16.6 ± 2.0	15.2 ± 2.3	2.5 ± 0.3	33.7 ± 1.3
Lipase	34.3 ± 1.6	7.0 ± 0.8	4.0 ± 0.3	1.5 ± 0.1	17.5 ± 1.7	15.2 ± 1.0	2.4 ± 0.4	34.5 ± 1.8
Mixture	32.5 ± 1.4	7.3 ± 0.5	3.4 ± 0.4*	1.7 ± 0.1***	26.1 ± 2.3***	17.6 ± 0.6***	4.5 ± 0.4***	37.37 ± 2.8*

The results (mean ± SD, n = 7) are presented per grams body weight (g b.wt). Significant differences between enzyme-treated and control groups are indicated by

* P < 0.05,

** P < 0.01,

*** P < 0.001; SI = small intestine.