Effect of dietary intervention with different pre- and probiotics on intestinal bacterial enzyme activities

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 225 - 231
• Main Authors: Preter, V. de, Raemen, H, Cloetens, L, Houben, E, Rutgeerts, P, Verbeke, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.02.2008; Nature Publishing; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult; b-Glucosidase; b-Glucuronidase; Bacteria; beta -Glucosidase; beta -Glucuronidase; beta-Glucosidase - metabolism; Bifidobacterium - physiology; Bifidobacterium breve; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogens; Clinical Nutrition; Colon; Colon - enzymology; Cross-Over Studies; diet; Dietary supplements; Digestive enzymes; Digestive system; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme activity; Enzymes; Epidemiology; Evaluation; experimental diets; Feces; Feces - enzymology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fructooligosaccharides; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucosidase; Glucuronidase - metabolism; Health aspects; Hospitals; human nutrition; Humans; Internal Medicine; Internet; intestinal microorganisms; Intestine; Inulin; Inulin - pharmacology; Lactobacillus casei; Lactobacillus casei - physiology; Lactulose; Lactulose - pharmacology; long term experiments; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolites; Nutrition; oligofructose-enriched inulin; Oligosaccharides - pharmacology; original-article; Physiological aspects; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Public Health; Saccharomyces; Saccharomyces - physiology; Saccharomyces boulardii; Spectrophotometry; Spectrophotometry - methods; Substrates; symbionts; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; women; β-Glucosidase; Belgium; glucuronidase; prebiotics; glucosidase; probiotics; Probiotic; β-Glucuronidase; Nutrition; Digestive system; Enzyme; Gut; Activity; Metabolic diseases; Feeding; Glycosylases; Infection; β-Glucosidase; Diet; Glycosidases; Bacteriosis; Hydrolases; Prebiotic
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602706

Objective: To investigate the influence of different pre- and probiotics on faecal β-glucuronidase and β-glucosidase activity, as one of the claimed beneficial effects of pre- and probiotics is the hypothesis that these substrates are able to reduce the production of toxic and carcinogenic metabolites by suppressing specific enzyme activities in the colon. Setting: Department of Gastrointestinal Research, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, KU Leuven, Belgium. Design and subjects: The effect was evaluated in a randomized, crossover study in 53 healthy volunteers who were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups. Interventions: At the start and after a 4-week treatment period, the healthy volunteers collected faeces during 72 h. Lactulose and oligofructose-enriched inulin (OF-IN) were chosen as prebiotics, whereas Lactobacillus casei Shirota, Bifidobacterium breve and Saccharomyces boulardii were selected as probiotics. Two synbiotic combinations were evaluated as well. The enzyme activity was assessed spectrophotometricly. Results: Lactulose and OF-IN significantly decreased β-glucuronidase activity, whereas a tendency to a decreased β-glucuronidase activity was observed after L. casei Shirota and B. breve intake. To the contrary, B. breve increased β-glucosidase levels. Supplementation with the synbiotic did not appear to be more beneficial than either compound alone. No influence of S. boulardii was noted. Conclusions: Administration of lactulose, OF-IN, L. casei Shirota or B. breve resulted in a decrease of the β-glucuronidase activity, which is considered beneficial for the host.